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""" Mix one-oh-six-point-five We Did It All For Love of course the Love Line's open on one-three-hundred-double-eight-love. Love Song Dedications. We have a lady calling who needs to dedicate to her guy Terry. And you two have had some trouble what's happened."
We've been fighting   fighting and fighting.
Okay so a few sleepless nights for you there.
Yeah yeah.
Okay and er do you feel that it's stuff that you guys can work through.
Ah hopefully we can it's just so frustrating.
Frustrating and tiring and  emotionally exhausting huh.
Exactly yeah and.
That old rollercoaster.
Exactly I just want him to know that weth even though I'm angry at him I really love him.
You're just frustrated at the  situation at the moment yeah.
Yeah like everything just blows up and then sometime he just disappears and doesn't doesn't come home y'know and.
And that would cause you worry.
Yes it does  yes it does yeah.
Okay so you're just letting him know that you're just frustrated with the fighting and you'd like that to stop and you're prepared to do your bit to help.
Yeah exactly yep  yup.
How do you see you two in terms  of stopping the fighting.
I just hope  that we comp compromise.
Compromise.
Yeah.
Okay.
And just understand each other a little bit more.
Yeah yeah.
Y'know what does he want and  what do I want.
So look at each other's needs.
Yeah  yeah  that's true yeah because when when I get angry I think he thinks that I hate him but I'm not . And when I get angry it's the fact is that I'm scared of losing him.
Certainly yeah how.
Do you understand that Richard.
Yeah I do and  unfortunately when we get angry we say so many things that we regret  later.
Like you say you say you hoon and then then you swear at each other  and  and all that yeah yeah.
Okay well it's my pleasure to play Almost Here for your guy tonight and uh.
Thank you very much Richard.
I hope in some way this helps you to compromise and get to know each other's  needs hey and  understand each other better.
Yep yep it will I hope it will.
Thanks for sharing.
Alright thank you. Terry this is for you and I do love you very much.
Well Sophie's called to dedicate to Sam. And why are you feeling so blue tonight Sophie.
Well we're not actually on good terms he really loves me and I love him and  we had to actually um be apart from each other due to religious problems and it's just he can't be with me due to um his family and stuff . And I'm just I really love him and I want him to know that.
So how long since you two have seen each other.
We've been together for three years . And um we've been apart now for about two weeks.
Killing you.
It's killing me and I guh uh I'm going through a very very rough time and   I don't know what to do to get him back and he just wants to be friends now just to see what to do but um I can't live without him and I want him back.
So in a sense Sam has fallen into line with his family's wishes in terms of honouring the religious differences between you two.
Yes.
And he's chosen to.
To stick with his family.
Exclude himself from from your love.
Yeah he ih he just doesn't want  he reckons he doesn't not wanna hurt me like later on if  if we keep dragging it but.
Yeah what do y  what do make of this. Uh the religious differences breaking the love bond that you have.
Yes it's a very strong love bond we've been through thick and thin with each other . But um I haven't got a choice I mean I h I respect his wishes and I want him to be happy I love him so whatever he decides I mean I'm just gunna have to live with but um I'm just hoping that he will think about it very very strongly and  he'll come back to me.
That's your dream.
Yes.
I wish you well with that dream.
Thank you.
And in the meantime as we play a song for Sam is there anything else you'd like to get across to him.
Just wanna tell him that I love him with all my heart and I'll never stop loving him. And I hope he can come back to me.
Sadiq how can I help tonight.
I just wanna dedicate a song to my girlfriend Tammy. We're together and we've having problems with her brother and she's put on the rocks.
You and Tammy are on the rocks.
No her brother.
What what's her what's her brother doing.
Oh just dunno just he doesn't want us together.
Why  have you got a have you got a bad name or something Sadiq.
No no it's just that he didn't like her having someone too close.
Oh okay.
'Cos I love her and she loves me I love her with all my heart. Really miss her.
Y y you guys can't see a lot of each other because of this.
No not much of. Nah we spih uh we we speak every night .
You speak every night.
Yeah.
Yeah and and what apart from that you seeing each other at all.
Yeah we see each other we've seen each other a lot but oh we see each other a lot but  not I'm not not as much as I want to.
Yeah I understand yeah.
If I could it was up to me I'd see her every day 'cos I love her that much.
Yeah and probably Tammy feels the same way about you does she.
Yeah she does yeah.
So  what can you do about this anything.
Um we've been working our way around it   .
Ih is there anything else you wanna get across to your lady though tonight Sadiq as we  play this song for her.
With all my heart and I'll show them all I'm good for her and I'll always  and I'm not .
Eileen what's on your mind tonight.
Hi I just wanted to dedicate a song to someone very special in my life.
Sounds good to me.
Yeah .
Just how special are we talking about.
Very special.
Mm a lifesaver do you think.
Uh probably more than that. I just want him to know how much he means to me and um I hope we can just go seeriuh like further.
Say four years ago when you two first started talking how were you feeling about life in those days.
Before I met him I didn't know nothing I was just one of those people that um  didn't know nothing about love and  when he came into my life he taught me a lot and he put a meaning  behind the word love and um I love him so much for that.
And now when you think of love you think of him.
Yes. And l he's got a special place in my heart he'll always have that special place and I don't think anyone can can t take that place. He is he means the world to me and I love him so much.
Is there anything else Eileen you'd like to get across to to Zaheer just before I dedicate Have You Ever to him.
Uh I just wanted to sell  him that  I love him so much and  I hope he's safe wherever he is I'm not with him and I hope I can see him very soon to tell him how much I really care for him I think he knows that though.
dedications. Leigh you are feeling good tonight.
Yeah fantastic. I have my girlfriend with me Sarah  she's not my girlfriend she's my friend.
Your friend .
Hi.
Hi Sarah.
If we could Richard please.
Yeah.
a song if we could to two guys.
Okay so we've got Leigh and Sarah and and these two guys are y guys you're double dating.
No not it's not kinky at all. It's very boring.
What do you mean it's very boring are you.
Heart .
We're heartbroken.
You're h oh no. These these are the guys that uh have.
They broke out heart.
When.
Oh.
When and why.
I don't know because we're foxy ladies but.
You're foxy ladies.
Just read a book called He's Just Not That Into Her y'know like or Into Me so we're figuring tonight we'll just ring you Richard and dedicate a song to these guys.
Do you want to be back with them.
No.
No.
So this is a a farewell guys.
It's a farewell ih and we've done a lot of self analysis and a lot of we've had y'know we've we've drunk plenty of chardonnay and I've been  like.
Yes.
We're through with it we just wanted to um finalise  finalise the whole thing and get a bit of closure if we could Richard.
Yeah I understand that. So do you think you kind of are taking anything away from your experiences like have you learnt anything or.
Oh definitely definitely.
I'm almost scared to ask what . It's it's not anything like men are this is it.
No no no not we're not anti-men  don't get us wrong we're not at all.
Right.
Just looking for the right guy really someone  who appreciates us.
Someone who appreciates you.
Yeah.
And what else . Simply that.
Yeah pretty much that just someone who's in touch with their emotions really.
Uhuh.
Yeah.
What you felt that both of you went through the experience of being with a guy that wasn't.
I think so really. Yeah . They were both really extremely different circumstances but  we've come to the same conclusion so.
And you're supporting each other now.
We are.
With chardonnay.
thank you Richard.
No we're alright. Well y'know. But can I can I just say  that um uh we've been trying to ring you   for ages.
Oh well I'm glad you got through tonight see in this time of need.
Yes I agree.
You've been delivered.
Thanks for being there.
My pleasure.
And can we just say that we are   we we are foxy ladies.
Anything else needs to be said to these guys as you  close.
I think the song does it all. You're just so predictable and it's for um Brett and.
It's for Andrew.
Sam you have a new lady in your life Jess.
Ah me and Jess started going out about two two and a half three months ago.
Mm.
And we broke up for about two three days 'n' then got back together.
Um I take it you couldn't stand being apart form her hey.
Yeah.
Two or three days of hell.
Yeah.
Did you have to apologise.
Yeah a bit.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay but how're you getting on these days you two.
Oh now w yeah we're all sweet 'n' stuff.
Do you reckon she's the lady for you.
Yep.
Well and truly huh.
Yeah.
So where is she tonight at home.
She's at home I was just speaking to her before she doesn't know I'm gunna  do this dedication for her.
Oh cool okay well look I've got a song for Jess tonight and what would you like to tell her from your heart Sam.
Uh babe I love you. I wanna be with you for rest of my life and  didn't mean to hurt you before but hope all good now.
Sam has been waiting for a girl like you Jess. This is Foreigner on Love Song Dedication.
Tammy's called to return her boyfriend Sadiq's dedication. And how did you feel when you heard your guy on Love Song Dedications Tammy.
Very touched yeah.
'Cos you really like Sadiq by the sound of it as much as he likes you.
I love him.
I bet people are noticing a bit of a difference in you.
Yes they are actually.
Do you think he's your first true love.
More than first true love he is my only love.
Your only love.
Yes.
How long have you two been going out.
A month and a bit.
So it's right at the beginning hey early days.
Yep.
But you know your heart is made up.
Mhm.
Alright so I've got a song for Sadiq tonight as you think about him Tammy and look forward to seeing him again and what would like to tell him for your heart as we play this.
Sadiq I love you baby with all my heart no matter how many  times we go through family and stuff whatever  you're always in my heart and I love you.
on Mix one-oh-six-point-five. Chris you've called to dedicate a song to Sarah.
Yeah we had a bit of a breakup about six months ago so. Yeah trying to get back with her.
So six months on from the breakup y your feelings haven't changed.
Oh I've been feeling something's changed since we broke up.
Have you talked to Sarah much in that time or have  you tended to just leave her alone.
Try and talk to her every day yeah after work it's like we're still best of friends but.
Yeah it's just not the same you haven't got  close contact that you had before.
Yeah. Uh ever since we broke up six months ago I've just missed her.
Yeah.
I wanna get back with her because her son  uh her son hasn't got a father.
Right.
And I wanna be the father figure for her son.
Yeah it's a horrible spot to be in isn't it hey.
Yeah.
What have your friends been telling you to do just let go.
Oh let go but I just can't let go.
Have you told Sarah that.
Yeah I tell her every time every chance I've got.
Yeah and is there a glimmer of hope there does she say anything that  gives you hope.
She wants to give it a couple more weeks.
Yeah so she hasn't gone off and given her heart to anyone else.
No.
Okay and and do you look back and regret any of the things that you did that led to this you  do you feel it was just you or.
Oh I used to be a really bad uh pot smoker . I quit smoking pot so  I think she's happy with that.
Yeah yeah.
'Cos really like it used to get real uh really bad . Used to smoke every day like wouldn't give a shit if I'd have  got drunk and fell over and cut myself she  just went really scared  and I cut it out . And started being normal.
So you're just hoping that the change that you've pulled into your life and the fact that you're now caring for yourself  will translate into your lady your ex caring for you once again.
Yeah. Just like c thought I'd go on radio 'cos I know she listens to this  like she listens to this all the time . Hoping it might she told me a couple of times that she was hoping to hear me on it one night.
Yeah well look at this . Look at this man good on you good on you for.
I just got on to tell her I love her.
Yeah. Well good on you for picking the phone up and calling tonight  Chris and um  I wish you well and as I play a song for Sarah is there anything else you'd like to get across to her.
Just uh hope when she comes back to us we'll stay together and get engaged and get married.
Love Song Dedications on Mix one-oh-six-point-five. Natalie tell me about you and D J you you two have been going out for a while.
Yeah we've been together for the past um year our anniversary's tomorrow.
Oh congratulations.
Thank you.
I wonder if you'll get a chance to do anything special tomorrow as well.
Um yes we're gunna spend the day together and  yeah.
Excellent yeah so what sorta guy is he must be pretty special you've  been been together a year.
Yeah he's great um I've had the best most fun time with him over the past year and he just means so much to me and we've been through some really hard times together but  we have pulled through and this just shows me how strong our love really is for each other.
Do you spend a lot of time together y'know going out and things like that.
Yeah practically every day but we're both still in school so.
Oh okay when  you can.
Pardon.
When you can yeah.
Yeah  it's been a little bit hard.
Yeah okay does he does he like going shopping with you.
Yeah he loves it .
Bonus hey.
Yeah.
Alright so you're thinking about D J tonight and looking forward to seeing him tomorrow when you two celebrate one year of being in love.
I am.
Yeah okay anything you'd like to say from your heart as we play this song for him.
Yes um D J I hope tomorrow's date brings us many more anniversaries together and I love you very much Bubby.
Well Brett's on the Love Line thinking about his special lady Joanne. And poor old Joanne's in hospital is she Brett.
Yeah she's in hospital she has been for a couple of weeks. Um hopefully she'll be home at the end of the week if all goes well.
Yeah and I guess you've been spending a fair bit of time in there as well it's your second home away from home I guess.
It is I I should probably stay there or get a job there or.
Yeah.
I go and see her every day I like to y'know  be supportive 'n'   y'know.
Besides you want to see the lady you love.
Well exactly and it's like part of me is not here it's there and.
Yeah.
It's hard . Especially now sitting here at night listening to the radio kinda thing.
Well listening to Love Song Dedications and you'd be used to having Joanne beside you while you listen.
Exactly  exactly  and.
And she's lying back in her hospital bed listening from there and  she's  hearing your sweet voice and we're gunna dedicate Three Doors Down Here Without You because it's how you're feeling at the moment. And uh.
Sure is.
Maybe there's something you'd like to say from your heart as well mate.
There sure is Jo I love you darling and everything'll be alright I promise you 'n' I'll be there with you till the to the end you know that and I love you hun it doesn't feel right without you  and thank God just thank God that you're here  'cos I dunno what I'd be doing.
Love Song Dedications Mix one-oh-six-point-five the winning song was played Bryan Adams Flying. Elliot you've cracked it you're our seventh caller our winner.
Are you serious.
I am totally serious.
Oh Richard mate you made my day honestly.
Fantastic.
Mate I rang you yesterday did you remember me. I was number ten I said oh can I call back . You remember . And then  I called back and it was finished.
You waited twenty-four hours.
Yeah I have but no I've been calling you every night.
Well you're got it your luck's in tonight.
Oh beautiful.
You're off uh you got a double pass to enjoy the legendary string quartet the Kronos quartet at their only Sydney show on March seventeen at the Sydney Opera House plus uh Elizabeth Arden's Red Door perfume thanks to the Perfume Empire prestige without the price.
Excellent thanks a lot Richard.
Love Song Dedications Mix one-oh-six-point-five. Candice and Neil are out driving together at the moment. I tell you you'll be envious of this couple because  they've got tonight together they've got tomorrow off and they'll be together. Told you you'd be envious. Candice how long have you and Neil been going out now.
In March will be two years.
Oh okay so you really know each other pretty well.
Oh yeah we do.
Mm can you can you tell me what you really like about him.
I like the way he is very patient and he's romantic and  he's real loving and he's very kind and he listens.
He listens.
Not a thing you find very often in a man. Y'know.
So you were very lucky here jackpot.
Yeah I do hit the jackpot .
Yeah just were you looking actively searching for a love partner or was it just something that  happened.
Uh we actually went to school together so that's how we met . In high school.
Okay you  you would have known back then that he was a good listener and he could be there for you.
Yep he's actually tutoring me for math. So  so we actually got together.
Uhuh  mkay cool. So you're happy.
Yes I am very happy.
Alright well enjoy the rest of the night and is there anything else you want to say to Neil as we dedicate this to him.
Um just that I love him very much and that he's very special to me.
Love Song Dedications on Mix one-oh-six-point-five. Cathy you're thinking about your special guy tonight and he's not beside you where is he.
My special one is over in Shanghai at the moment.
In Shanghai.
Shanghai yeah.
Oh dear.
Yeah  he came he well he came to Sydney on sort of a a working holiday and then we met through some mutual friends and he just left recently and now he's in Shanghai and then he'll go travelling again and then end up back home in London.
Oh  so this sounds like it would have been a fairly tearful farewell because do you know when you'll be seeing each other again.
Well yeah  I'll see him again in July 'cos some friends of ours are getting married in July so I'll go to the over to London in July and then  um he's  well he's looking about coming to move to Sydney so that may happen in November so hopefully it'll be a happy ending.
Wow Cathy  that mhm how long did you two have to fall in love like this I mean.
Um around four months.
Right.
But I mean it to us it was it was really full on and we saw each other almost every day.
Yeah yeah.
Yeah so it was really nice and it's nice when you sort of just click with somebody.
Yeah and I suppose  when you say you clicked it was like as if it had always been the way it was.
Well that yeah that's right that's  right and w and we're about to celebrate our birthdays in about two weeks it was on the same day  . So we're soulmates it's destined . Destiny.
Yeah  okay so roll on July.
Yay please  come soon .
My pleasure to play a song for you a special one tonight Cathy and.
Thank you Richard.
Anything needs to be said to your special man.
Oh yeah I miss him lots and I'm still smiling and yeah I just I love him lots.
Mix one-oh-six-point-five. Well Shireen's on the Love Line thinking about Mohammed. You're missing him Shireen where is he.
He is at his parents house.
Mm.
And we haven't been talking for like two weeks.
Why not.
We've having a few problems between each other.
Oh.
I just wanna speak to him on the radio 'cos I know he's listening right now.
Okay you want to just  link up between you two hey  and see if you can get you two back talking and back  in love how it was hey . Was it pretty special for you two.
Yeah.
He's the only man for you.
He's the only one.
Alright well Shireen say what you want to say to Mohammed hey and we'll play him a song and hopefully we'll put you two back together.
I just wanna tell him that I love him  and I hope he just stays in my life forever.
Well Gary's called to dedicate to Elmer. And what is it you'd like to get across to Elmer Gary.
Uh just that I love him and I just wanna be with him forever.
Have you been together very long so far.
Yes about four or five years now I think.
Okay what's the most special thing about this man.
I just wake up with him every morning. He's just so loving and caring.
And you don't want these days to end.
No.
Going well.
Huh yes .
Alright well listen as you think about your guy tonight is he home with you or are you still waiting.
Uh I'm actually out at work so.
Okay so you're looking forward to getting home hey.
Mm.
Alright well a song for Elmer tonight and I wish you all the best and you have a safe drive home.
Uh thank you.
""" Freo Dockers skipper there Peter Bell hello everyone and welcome to Sports Today for Panasonic Ducted Air Conditioning and Craft Decor Adrian Anderson to join us from the A F L general manager of football operations tonight in his usual fortnightly segment and we were talking waffle for A H T with Harvey Deegan and the motor racing segment for Barbagallo Raceway with Andrew Van Leeuwen you can join us at any time nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two on the phone. Or if you'd like to email Barry checks it at every ad break. Sport at Six P R dot com dot A U as I ent I uh intuh introduced the said person hello Mr Barich how are you."
Hey Barney how are you mate yeah.
Jeez time goes fast doesn't it Belly playing his hundredth game for the Dockers.
Yeah that's right uh.
Doesn't seem like he's been back here that long does it  but it goes quick.
Was it one game in nineteen-ninety-five.
Long time ago.
Yeah wuh was it ninety-five . Two games two games .
Yeah one half and then another half.
That's right and then  uh ninety-eight games when they had to pay a fortune to get him back . Hey tell me about uh Belly 'cos uh was interesting today  at the press conference uh uh the media quizzed him about y'know Connolly's uh decih decision not to let him play in the middle him 'n' c y'know uh Carr and uh Hasleby  and he let Gilmore go in there 'n' Dylan Smith 'n' how did you feel about it 'n' he refused to comment. Wouldn't talk about it just uh kept batting it away saying nah it's up to the coach uh it's coaching staff decision uh not gunna comment one way or the other whether I thought it was a good move or a bad move or how I felt about it uh  yeah I just thought that was thought that was pretty interesting uh.
Well anything he's gunna offer's gunna be twisted so it doesn't matter.
Yeah well maybe he took that view. Tell me about uh the.
Like your mob did tonight I saw that.
What'd they do.
Did you oh you wouldn'ta had it over there because Terry Wallace talking to the did you is Seven running the story about  Terry Wallace ing bucketing the uh Telstra Dome surface.
Oh yes yeah I got that on the list for Adrian Anderson.
Well I well uh  I gotta say I gotta say I I saw him on Ten. Y'know 'n' and and no disrespect Barry to you and your friends at Channel Seven but on Ten he was concerned about yeah the Telstra Dome surface said it was a bit slippery but he was more concerned about his mid the centre four they can't get their hands on the ball and get it out of the middle that was a real problem for him. So what Channel Seven have done  y'know Wallace buckets Telstra Dome and they play the comment about the four players that he's got in the middle that he's he's ih that ih that they're hopeless at the moh it's not it's it's it's diabolical. That  'n' they played it on the back end of that uh  this is what the Telstra Dome is so you're not bad.
That's Melbourne was it.
Ah  yes it was.
It musta been implied or something was it.
Ah  you're good.
Hey I'm not trying to dodh.
You're good your blokes over here.
I'm not tr I'm not trying to dodge the subject but uh.
Yes you are you're going completely on a different path what're you talking about.
Just going back to Peter Bell for a second . Hey mate I wuh there was a discussion at a function I was at uh the other day about uh.
Another one.
A-grade players and uh how many A-grade players Fremantle actually have and uh the consensus was they only have one. Would you agree with that I mean the people sh.
Hmm certainly Pavlich's name comes to mind does it.
Yeah Pavlich and that was it uh that uh perhaps Bell doesn't really enter into that category.
Nah well if you if you wanna go into that d down that path I mean it's a very subjuctih shubjictive   question isn't it I mean you who who knows.
Nah but the the bloke who was saying it was saying in the context of look don't be too hard on Fremantle have a look at Hawthorn they've got four  A-grade players y'know  they got Everitt Crawford they chucked he chucked Williams in there and Hodge which is debatable whether they got two or four but uh Fremantle  only has one.
Where we're going down this little tangent is that we're ducking away that that Fremantle don't have the real talent.
Mm y well that's what the case is being made yeah exactly.
Oh okay okay uh uh yuh uh as another excuse or is that a reason.
Well I dunno depeh  depends who's saying it  . Oh uh oh I deh eh I researched something have we got that audio there too uh Rob of uh this is ang just before I tell you about this uh.
You love the audio.
Tt I do I love audio 'cos y'know it's a it's an audio medium and.
Saves you from speaking.
It's right and uh it's it's m it's muhc encapsulated better by people  like Peter Bell talking about Polak and Dodd's suspension here's what he had to say first of all.
Now the news out of Fremantle tonight was that uh Connolly spoke to th each player individually just about on the ground at training tonight uh there's no chance McPharlin or c Matt Carr will play they're miles away uh  and possibly Headland and I asked about the whole Polak situation and uh that basically the bottom line was they wanted to keep an eye on him. That's why they took him over they wanted to keep an eye on him because perhaps who knows what he'd get up to over here which is  y'know not a great thing to say I suppose.
Ah you're kidding aren't you.
But uh the other thing I found out is uh they all went and saw the Lion King too the all the boys 'n' the girl  girlfriends and wives and that too so . D'you reckon that'd fire them up.
Ah yeah well it's fired me up.
Dih d'you see the Lion King.
Ah well tt no I haven't seen the Lion King.
That'd be the singing and dancing.
That's the one on stage.
Yeah the stage.
Yeah it's.
What would that be like.
Oh well if you like stage shows it'd be fantastic I'm sure.
Yeah ih be ah be able to draw something outta that is it Simba was that Simba or.
Simba in that one.
I prefer le Moulin Rouge.
Is that why .
I saw that in Las Vegas when I was there that was alright.
What's the name of the lion in the uh Lion King it's not Simba is it that's  the White Lion. It was something else uh.
Big Cat.
No no no he's got 'n' the bad guy what's his name Tooth or Fang or something anyway we'll get we'll sort  it out. If you know uh wuh who's in the Lion King  give us a call  we've got footy tickets to give away too Barney again.
Yes that's great thanks to Carlton Midstrength's fifth quarter helping you to stay a little longer this football season the Dockers's supporters were certainly leaving a couple of weeks ago.
Yes it did leave a bit early 'n' there's been feedback about  . No people were saying that the reason like there was a bit of a uh a a poll on t one of the websites 'n' it the l most of people's reasoning was they were sending a message to the club . It was a good way to send a message by leaving early.
Thank God for that I thought they must've run out of Carlton Midstrength.
Yeah well that's right anyway we've got tickets to that elimination final virtual elimination final uh the Kangaroos versus the Dockers and uh and what about the cricket mate the empire struck  back. You told me.
Ah well twen Twenty Twenty cricket is a absolute garbage mate at the international  level. And you know that I know that I think the punters know that I think it's got a its place in domestic cricket here in Australia I think it's not a bad idea I think it went very well didn't it down at the WACA. That night when we had it down there when the W A boys played the Bush Rangers. I think that went fantastic but at international level surely it's not right it is just not right.
Uh well I know it's I know it's just hit and giggle but there were some  you gotta say there were some good signs there for the Poms. I mean  now what about their  their fielding even their fielding.
They got McGilly out and they got Hayden out 'cos they went for the tonk.
No but their fielding was actually uh had  gone up a level. And Darren.
Yeah wuh th w yeah wuh that's that bloke look like a skunk what's his name.
Oh c is it Collingwood  Bob . Yeah it's Collingwood isn't it.
No Pietersen isn't it.
No Pietersen yeah Pietersen's .
H hasn't he got the m he  he's got the mullet like a skunk.
Yeah he's the South African gun he was the bloke who went to the hairdresser's with Warnie. 'Cos they're mates in Hampshire d'you hear about that. 'N' they went to the hairdresser to have a cut and the hairdresser said hey Warnie you're going you're thinning out back here. And that's now Advanced Hair Yeah Yeah . Jeez  mate how good is Warnie . He's turned all his flaws into money . He's tuh he quit smoking for two-hundred grand  well didn't quit smoking but he said he'd quit . And uh now he's done the hair bit how much would he have got for that.
Six figure sum.
Oh it's just magnificent  isn't it and weight loss . Wait till Viagra kicks in down the track  when he's a bit older  he'll make a foll poultice outta that. Anyway you can't uh y'know he's a bit vain but you can't uh blame him I suppose we're all a  a bit that way. But anyway back to the cricket mate I Boof Lehmann great commentated first first up debut thought he was terrific  he's gunna be doing stuff on this station . Did you hear na.
And Both.
N n Both as well. Naf Nasser Hussain  and David Lloyd they've just fired up they ripped into the Aussies. Ih n Nasser Hussain at one stage said put your pads on McGrath you'll need them. Y'know like uh they're getting pretty cocky they're getting  pretty cocky  got a lotta emails and phone messages today.
Absolutely nothing to d derive outta that I didn't think. Not a thing.
What about uh the performance. The lion king is Mufasa . And  his son is Simba so yeah so I didn't say Simba though did I. Did I say Simba.
I thought you said Kimba the White Lion   thinking about you've been watching too many cartoons.
That was the cartoon Mufasa  we've had about three million calls thank you  we know it's Mufasa now and the bad guy was Fang I think . But if so you can't take I would like to hear from our listeners can we take anything outta that Twenty Twenty game cah should the Aussies  be a little bit concerned.
Absolutely  zero.
Nothing  nothing.
You see some of the shots we played.
It's got.
They didn't wanna be there mate.
Like seven for eight or something they got.
They didn't wanna be there. And why would ya. I mean because look they used to have this real concern about uh guys playing in test match cricket the purists said well there are guys who play test match cricket who can't play one day cricket 'cos it affects their technique . Well what is Twenty Twenty cricket gunna do to your technique. I mean  the only one who's really suited to it is Gilly  because.
Matt 'n' siv Simons.
Ah yeah to a degree but yuh but Gilly plays with a long handle most of the time so it doesn't worry him. Hayden has had an absolute Barry Crocker over the past year or so and he's still playing same rash pool shots which ch gets the top edge and go about thirty-five-million miles in the air  and he gets caught forward of uh square leg y'know I mean ih th  it is not good for Matthew Hayden and it's not good for a lot of  other players. Y'know and when Jason Gillespie who is arguably one of the premier bowlers in the world  bowls four overs for forty-nine runs  what does that say about .
I'll give you the tip Lee is definitely not suited to Twenty Twenty Lee  there's no doubt about it but uh well come on th I wanna be convinced by the listeners I mean do you think there's nothing to be taken outta that or is it is there a chance that the Poms are  up and running and that  they maybe they will challenge the Aussies.
It should be restricted to the domestic competition here in Australia nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two if you'd like to put yourself in the running for those two tickets to Fremantle versus the Kangaroos on the weekend which we're dubbing the elimination final and you heard Belly he's sorta s concerned that uh he'd like to be winning a few more games and well it'd be a good game to get along to Peter Bell what of a great servant he's been for Fremantle his hundredth game coming up on the weekend for the club 'n' you got an opportunity go along by putting yourself in the running. Let's go to the phones hello Adrian at Duncraig
Oh g'day guys how are you mate.
Good.
Hey look I'm an avid cricket follower and I actually stayed up to watch that game last night   and still managed to get to work this morning  and just a couple of points hurm uh  when they started 'n' they won the toss um the rr um uh who was it the captain of the English side y'know said that he was going in for a real dig  Rickie Ponting actually said y'know I hope people take it that it's a bit of fun and everything like that  and dead set it's two different approaches now if anyone says that that Australian side is gunna be absolutely um  um a bit uh threatened or tentative by that game last night they're they're they're a they're a joke. Now if you look.
Hey you make  you do make a lotta sense is there anything we can take out of it though is there e like y'know maybe the Poms have improved in the field or  perhaps they will be a bit more competitive .
The Poms have improved in the field I'll give 'em that from watching that game and I said I I watch a lotta cricket um they've improved in the field immensely right but the thing is you've gotta look at your bowlers right now those English bowlers I mean Darren Gough took three  he's not even playing for 'em mate   you've gotta you gotta sustain that.
What about Jon Lewis who does midnight to dawn he uh he was brih  he was brilliant.
But if you had a look at the balls that the Australians got out to right  it was just ih ih it wasn't I mean Glenn McGrath bowls more balls on line than the whole English team did right  it was just one of those games and dead set the Australians uh the the way they got out it was just like they didn't have an interest because Australia sets itself for the big games and for the Ashes and I'll tell you now England will not win a test they might win a few one-dayers but they will not win a test.
Good on you   good on you Adrian appreciate you  starting us off to Parkwood hello Peter  oh.
Peter of Parkwood.
Hello Peter.
Poyter .
Mightta lost him. We'll go back to Peter see we can get him in a minute let's go down to Steve at Applecross.
Yeah hi guys uh great show um just briefly on that Twenty Twenty game I think if it's a confidence game that's uh or confidence that's kept England down for these years  they'd have to take a little bit from it surely  I mean I know it's only Twenty Twenty it's all good fun everyone's stats go to hell but  yeah they get blown to blazes but I think um.
It just meh it made the Aussies look human a bit Steve didn't it uh and theh  not like these unbeatable moh monsters that come over and just monster you.
Yeah well especially after that um was it the county game or the first game where Lee took a wicket off the first ball I mean some people must've been thinking same old same old again . And they um their star South African got went for five or something but I mean uh yeah I think this has brought it back to an even keel 'n' I think we're we're back wandering again I think now it's um who knows.
What about that ball that uh who's the opener Jones hit back  over Lee's head nearly killed him.
Yeah  well he's  no fast bowler like that do they but  I mean  he might but Brett might remember that one for later I think though.
Yeah  exactly.
Good on you Steve  thanks for your thoughts mate we appreciate it to Quinns Rocks hello Tom.
G'day how you going.
Good.
Hello.
Yes Tom  fire away my friend.
Yeah um just ringing to say that I agree with you about the Twenty Twenty I mean I think it's purely set up to make the batsman look good it completely kills the bowler's averages  and just just complete waste of time.
They may as well not have bowlers I reckon they should just get one of those uh bowling machines up there and just hurl  'em down.
Yeah just like that they have in baseball or something yeah just give the batsman a bit of practice I mean  that's all it seems to be.
Well uh the the more tripe you bowl the more likely you are to get a wicket there you are. And and blokes who bowl line and length like McGrath and Gillespie and that and and even Lee I mean he y'know he bowls quick but jeez it just plays into your hands Barry you only have to get a nick and  see you later notice.
Thah yuh thah.
It still tah  a couple of hours  couple of overs to get going though doesn't it.
Yeah it's a.
That would explain John Lewis getting wickets I gotta  say 'cos how  bad was he he's just bolh tossing 'em up.
To Roleystone g'day Ben.
How you going Brad  a while ago I read somewhere on and heard you say that football was now boring let's have Twenty Twenty footy and let's see how better it is.
Mm Twenty Twenty footy.
Yeah  Twenty Twenty  footy y'know.
How would you do that Ben.
Easily.
Yeah tell us how.
Well  you get uh you got your twenty minutes.
Mm.
Uh the um everybody stays on the on the equator side or across the central line  and then you're into it just chuck the ball up in the air and away you go for  twenty minutes just slug it out.
Like British British bulldog  at school or something.
Yeah something like that a bit.
Come on over.
Yeah there's no  the day of tradition and uh truism and uh the the the skills of the game are fastly going and uh this Twenty Twenty cricket is a typical example of let's have a good time and don't worry about uh anything . Twenty Twenty football's  the coming thing.
Made for T V Ben.
Yeah.
Good on you mate thanks very much mate um and and look what I said about boring about the footy was I was gr I was trying to um well not justify what Sam Newman had to say Barra 'cos y we know he got benched over here but he he did have a point and I mean anybody who watched the Hawthorn St Kilda game on the weekend could not have thought anything else than that that it was the worst game of football that you've ever seen because unfortunately some of the players are that robotic at the moment  they are that terrified they're gunna make a mistake they are that scrutinised that they think they're gunna get a clanger next to their name they are that frightened to kick the ball to a contest ih it's becoming by and large very embarrassing particularly from Hawthorn's point of view 'cos  y'know Maguire slipped down the field on uh on the weekend three times because he didn't have an opponent 'cos Hawthorn had that many behind the ball it wasn't funny so even when they won it they had a succession of possessions and that's why Crawford tt 'n' Mitchell 'n' ih Smith and all of these guys racked up y'know thirty-plus possessions and when they went to kick the ball down the ground there was young Mark Williams and four St Kilda defenders . And guess what happened . The poor kid got slaughtered. You know and the ball came back down the other end Fraser Gehrig was fantastic missed a few but y'know they just whipped the ball into their forward line and kicked to score. Now  if that's good footy uh I'm not here buh so so I understand 'cos I know Ben's a real grassroots man 'n' 'n' so am I but I just wanted to make that point that I think Sam Newman had a bit of a point  because it not only about Hawthorn there have been other games and.
Wuh d what did you make of the um Geelong Adelaide game then d'you you know Adelaide had a hundred-and-eighty-seven handballs. Some sort of A F L  record it's sih like sixty more handballs than a than you would have in a normal game and uh yeah I mean it was c exciting at the end there but gee Matty Scarlett was sensational but gee  that's a lotta hanh it was like rugby wasn't it  more ha more handballs than kicks.
Oh yeah it was crazy. Nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two we'll take your calls if you wanna go and see Belly's one hundredth game for the Freo Dockers on Sunday they play the Kangaroos be the best talkback caller tonight nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two Adrian Anderson'll join us after the break here on Sports Today.
Yes didn't Nasser Hussain love that Barra and uh huh  he hah  not bad for a captain who's got a record of four from about fifty-six  um.
Get your  get your pads on  Glen McGrath.
And as we go to.
Go 'n' get nicked Nasser Hus .
Least he's won something  uh to Glendalough hello Andrew.
What about the 'n' um Pommy commentator who said smashing smashing .
Yeah he was he wuh  he was barracking.
I luh I listened to the radio after that. I couldn't handle that anymore.
What'd how'd they finish that's uh end of story start the car . Oh give us a break.
Who was that commentator guys.
David.
I think I think it might've been the same bloke who broadcast the Kostya Tszyu Ricky Hatton fight.
Oh he was a moron  anyway.
Dave it was David ih.
Why has it got boundary ropes.
Well I woulda sworn that theh wuh when the the day that Tszyu fought there was only one bloke in the ring.
David  David Lloyd  was the uh David Lloyd was the bloke with Boof I'm surprised Boof didn't shin him and uh  Nasser Hussain was down  on the boundary talking absolute Swahili I'll tell ya .
When the real stuff comes on and they beat us in a test I'll be uh tip my hat to 'em but this Twenty Twenty is just a lot b like winning the raffle innit.
Yeah  I suppose.
Exactly.
But  they did loo they did look better.
Why has it got boundary ropes in the grounds at England aren't they small enough without boundary ropes.
Mm. That's.
Like y'know you 'n' me could just about top one over the top.
I think you're right    they were saying it was gunna go rows back 'n' it went about three rows back 'n' theh and it was the the the boundary line was less than fifty metres from the centre of the wicket I reckon .
And so how're Bangladesh gunna go against uh Australia 'n' England at Twenty Twenty cricket.
Well that's what they suh that's what they said . They said if England can beat Bangladesh they're genuine contenders .
Someone's rang through mate and said the the Kostya bloke was Ian Darke is it Darke and uh David Lloyd was the one last night said that  a man who coached an England side that was pumped three-one by Australia in nineteen-eighty-nine ninety-nine series.
Yeah I think Ian Darke was one of 'em but there was another bloke who just never shut up through the Kostya Tszyu fight 'n' every time that uh Kostya landed a punch he forget to say that he did. Tt .
Hey mate just on that just  before we move off boxing moight .
Boxing moight .
Moight  what's going on moight  uh last week we spurkt spoke to Fenech 'n' he w had a bit of a crack at Kostya for  uh not coming out in the last round . And then Tyson doesn't come out.
Yes we got Jeff Fenech on Thursday night spoke to him today and he was quite buoyant and he says and I'll let him tell the story because  uh it's a great one. It's a very interesting story so  stay listening on Thursday  night  because we're gunna have Jeff Fenech and Mahatma Coat.
Oh jeez that's a big night.
So the big double.
And what abh and there's a story theh bumping around uh over the weekend about Jeff threatening to perhaps uh take legal action against Danny Green. D'ya see  that . Train yeah suh  something along the lines of uh he may still technically be his manager and uh he uh proceeds may need to be coming to him still that uh huh he hasn't received or something 'n'  then he says he might train Mundine as well.
Not a chance in the world anyway we will um we'll try and uh let you know but uh let me tell you this he will not be training Anthony Mundine.
What about a legal stoush with D Green.
Mm I dunno Paul asked Jeff on  we'll know  with Jeff on well listen on Thursday night 'n'.
Alright well whe what about  Tyson's fight mate what'd you think about that.
I didn't see the fight I was in the I was at the footy match in Sydney.
I was texting  you every  every round.
Yeah you texted me after the after I'd had the result from fifteen different people.
Oh sorry I was the  only one who told you it was a T K O in the at the end of the sixth 'n'  it didn't come out 'n'.
Daniel had already informed me as a matter of fact what happened.
He doesn't know about boxing.
To Wanneroo hello Wayne.
G'day Brad how are you.
Good mate.
Mate I'm I'm ringing up about is um I'm the footy manager at Wanneroo Kingsway Footy Club.
Yep.
And we've got one of our young boys playing with you tomorrow night over in the uh Legends game.
Really did he win it on the um tt on the Ray White  thing.
Yeah yeah.
Oh good on him. What's his name.
Uh Ben Cuming.
Ben.
Ben Cuming  C U M I N G.
Oh okay.
He's  he stands five foot nothing mate 'n' uh he's as skinny as a rake but  he's a he's a real little goer so he'll he'll have a good tip when he gets on.
Oh good is he playing uh which team is he playing for do you know.
Uh  he's playing for the All Stars.
Ah good he's on our side that'll be great.
Yeah .
Well I'll uh I'll say g'day to the young man and uh wish him well we'll look out for him mate.
Yeah I I believe he's the well I would think he'd be the first bloke from uh community footy in W A  isn't he  who's certainly played in that game so.
Yeah well ih when they ran that national wide uh Wayne to  try 'n' y'know you just should uh to click on the W W W dot Ray White I think it was uh and uh suggest why you should be playing.
Hey Wayne just have a word.
They might play him on they might play him on Libba.
Well matey he warmed up on Sunday with seven goals so.
Yeah  did he.
Yeah.
Well mate t t tell him what to do if he wants to be famous and uh y'know a hero in Western Australia tell him to either run through Libba or Dermot alright  one of those two just ping one of those and uh we'll we'll uh y'know he when he comes back we'll all be at the airport to uh cheer him on.
Yeah I tell you what if they get in his way he'll run through 'em  .
Will he . Ah beautiful .
Good on you how old is he uh Wayne.
He's nineteen.
Nineteen good on him well  I'll look well I'll say g'day to the young man tomorrow  Ben Ben Cuming.
You never muh  you never move Barney from beside the goal post.
Nah we I'll see him in the change rooms  before we go . That's what I'm saying  before we go  good on you Wayne and thanks for letting us know so whe where where was he from Wanneroo was it.
Yeah Wanneroo.
Wanneroo. Up there at uh whatta they call.
Kings Kingway  was a huge huge area.
To Ferndale hello Andy.
Oh hi Brad. Er good luck uh good luck tomorrow night.
I I'm gunna need it.
H hope you get a kick .
Yeah. I hope I get on.
Hope you  get a respirator.
No you'll get on. Yeah wuh one of those famous runs down the wing.
Who's  coaching who's coaching you Barney.
Uh Graham Cornes he takes it a bit serious . S needs a good short sharpy  under the chin to.
He's a strange fella.
And a beat a ih  the only thing is if you knock Cornesy out Andy.
Yeah.
Knuckles Kerley takes over and he's worse .
What's the go with all the South Australians . S need Mal isn't Mal Brown around.
He's still bluing from all those years ago when Victoria used to wallop him. I'm sure of it. So and what would you wanna say Andy anyway.
Uh yeah I just wanted to wish you bit of luck I'd and I'd and the Dockers'll murder those mongrels on suh Sunday.
The Roos.
Yeah the Roos  yeah and uh the um the umpires when it trickled  little bit of rain the other night  done a great job at the Eagles game  . The mongrels won .
Good on you Andy  stay listening mate you might be in the crowd on the weekend.
What about them wearing the red uniforms too. Is it it was reddish 'n' they wuh uh th they were playing the bombers I mean  fair dinkum y'know yeah v apparently every Monday morning the first item on the heavy hitters' meeting at the A F L house or whatever it's called is what colour should the umpires' uniforms be this week depending on the games . I mean it's big stuff innit y'know. What colour should we have this week oh  orange or yellow.
Well I think they should be  a little bit different to whatever the colours are of the teams that are out on the ground I think that'd help I mean 'cos  sometimes there is a clash. To Willetton hello Val.
Yeah how youse going.
We missed you last night what happened to you we tried you about three times I reckon.
Sorry I've  bumped a a a.
The phone outta the wall.
Yeah okay  um I'd just like to talk about  um the Dockers.
Mm.
And um Johnson.
Michael Johnson.
He was on Hall.
He was.
And he did an absolutely fantastic job 'n' I haven't heard much about it on the radio.
Well we did on Sunday we we gave him a bit of rap we said that the boy was a little unlucky on a couple of occasions and Barry kicked uh a few goals on him but  there were a couple of times there he was caught outta position not not following any s yih too far but it was just enough to 'cos Barry was a little bit more seasoned a little bit more experienced 'n' judged the flight better.
Well more mature isn't it  I mean that age man uh um compared to Michael I think is outstanding  with Michael.
'N' y'know what Val  he is gunna learn so much from that. I was talking to Sheeds during the week 'n' he was saying that remember when uh Gary Ablett kicked fourteen goals one day.
Mhm.
Mm.
Guess who played on him for most of the day .
James Hird.
James Hird and  uh y'know they you just learn so much from that just watching  'em but. 'N' he'll be a g he'll be a better player for it 'n' he'll be a good player for the club no doubt about it.
Oh I know and the other thing is  that the good players in the Dockers  everybody's bag m most people are bagging them but when um any of the top players get the ball there's three four or five opposition players around the crumbs  'n' the same with Jeff Farmer and um  Brisbane Brisbane coach said that um all they had to do was contain Jeff  and  he had about five players on him all the time and there was no way he could get the ball and kick a goal.
Yeah I dunno about  I dunno about Jeff Val as much as Pavlich definitely got double teamed 'n' 'triple teamed 'n'. Got an email here from Frank uh down in Fremantle Barney and uh he saw Kevin Sheedy today with his wife  down at on the cafe strip or the cappuccino strip ih at Gino's is it Gino's. Gino's  isn't it  yeah having a  coffee down there no sight of uh anyone else that he was meeting or anything like that if you wanna start any rumours but uh   there's no no he's just having enjoying uh Western Australia Sheeds obviously loves it over here.
Good on him. Good stuff to Yangebup hello Rob.
Uh yeah how you going Brad 'n' Barra.
We're good.
Hey uh  I'm a uh Dockers member  uh fortunately me mate bought me a uh membership and uh I've been to the going to the games like um start of the year . But uh I won't be going to the football next uh week because um unless they pull their ringholes out and uh get their act together  um I don't wanna watch 'em 'cos they're that frustrating   and um I was just wondering who's the recruitment um team down there like they just seem to recruit a lot of um WAFL players. 'N' I know the Eagles recruit WAFL players as well but they seem to get a few good players from over east d'y'know what I mean . And um also I was just wondering how uh me mate D Oliver's going Brad if you've uh spoken to him lately.
Yeah no he was uh ma I spoh I did speak to him about uh ten days ago no he was uh going along nicely and he's enjoying a fair bit of the footy at the moment they're in a good year for him to be following the West Coast too Rob to be quite honest because they keep notching up wins no he he is going well but uh as we say he's got a bit of a decision to make at a little bit further down the track whether he tries to ride with the rods in his back that he's got there at the moment titanium rods or he has an operation to take them out so I've got a funny feeling that he might like to um take them out 'n' spend the extra time on the sidelines 'n' come back 'n' make sure he's a million per cent but good on you Rob I'm sure he um enjoys and yours and everybody else who listens to eight-eighty-two six P R's interest in him. Nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two is our open line number Adrian Anderson'll be ready after the break here on Sports Today.
Sports Today with Brad 'n' Barra for Panasonic Ducted Air Conditioning and Craft Decor g'day guys to buh both establishments great sponsors of Sports Today to Ferndale g'day Pete.
How you going Brad how you going Barra.
Good mate .
Uh just to um that guy who was saying he's never gunna go and watch the Hickory Dickories again . Come on mate show some loyalty eh  you wanna be a Magpie you gotta  stay with 'em y'know.
Yeah I know  I agree with yih you 'n' agre.
It's like saying  Barich leave Perth . Y'know what I mean.
Yeah . No we  agree with you Pete 'n' I think we've always maintained we've been uh we've been critiques of er of Fremantle there's no doubt about that but uh I've always maintained have we not Barra that y'know if you expect the boys to fight on the field you should be f ready to fight on the terraces as  slang that is to support them that's all.
Where do you stand with uh leaving early.
Oh they can do what they like I don't mind  it's up to people's ch it's peetshuh that's a person's choice if they choose to leave because they're not happy with what they're seeing that's fine 'n' if they wanna stay till the end well that's fine too.
Do you think it's a good statement to make though to stay to the bitter end and.
It's not a statement. I mean ih rea I mean.
You don't think it's a statement .
No I don't  oh unfortunately  not I mean  people read too much into their own actions . To be quite honest. I mean do you reckon the players look  over the fence and say naw people are leaving.
But it is pretty embarrassing when you the the stah stadium empties out at three quarter time when you y'know when you're playing 'n' you look 'n' you see people streaming out 'n' you think phew yeah.
But it's it's it's not high on their priority list Barra that's what I'm saying I mean I'm not saying it's y'know that the people y'know er if they feel as though it's a statement well they they probably think they are but there there are probably better ways to go about it I would suggest but anyway weh that's that's their choice as we say 'n' ih people pay their money they're entitled to leave 'n' go 'n' come when they want to. To Gosnells hello Karen.
Oh yeah hi guys yeah that's the trouble isn't it too much money um no I'd suggest to that guy that yeah he's not a very good supporter because when the chips are down and things aren't going too well and the Eagles are doing so well um yeah it's all very well for some people to say oh I'm not gunna go along and support but that's when we really do need the suppor  supporters to come along  and just a typical example was that last week my son um went into a service station and all the there was a big promotional thing about Eagles obviously and him being a real fanatical supporter um when he saw that they were all wearing Eagles T-shirts and all this kind of thing he said what's going on um and he they just said y'know oh yeah Eagles blah blah blah and he said well can't you see I'm a Dockers supporter and showed the keyring and his car with all the stickers and because it was like pay before you go it was late at night  he just walked out of the store and went somewhere else  . So y'know there's different ways of supporting your club  and um y'know show your colours guys and uh .
Karen   we've gotta get a that bit of that tribalism back in 'em Karen that's what we've gotta do.
Yeah it's all  territorial isn't it.
Yes it is.
What about leaving what about leaving early though there's this debate whether ih if ye if you wanna make a statement uh yih yih ih 'n' say to the club look we're not happy or the players or whoever the coach whatever  leaving early's the way to do it what do you think.
No I don't think I would never leave early 'cos you pay good money to go there  and not only that like I said ih wuh y'know if the score's y'know one point to twenty goals well that that's when your team needs you the most because like I said no-one likes getting beaten 'n' especially thrashed by lots  but I dunno it's just y'know if you're a fan you're a fan 'n' it luh y'know like I said when when you do win it becomes all the more sweet eh ih if you don't win so much  and y'know people winning all the time well y'know good luck to the Eagles they're  doing well  but y'know it'll be sweet when we do win.
Oh I agree Karen 'n' I I I just think I just keep urging the Fremantle supporters to keep going along I I think Barry you'd get a better t a worse taste in your mouth if you were a player. You would probably recognise it when you come out first on the ground 'n' if there was no people in the stands then then you might be thinking  hello what's  going on here. But uh  for 'em to leave  midway through a game uh uh or y'know third quarter or whatever I think that's everybody's prerogative.
The worst taste in the in my mouth I got was uh when I got spat on at the M C G   who wants to go over there.
Who was it.
Uh oh yeah good on you no  it was the fans mate 'n' they those Collingwood fans they just 'n' I wasn't .
Tell tell your family to stay at home Barra when  you're playing will you.
Yeah um exactly leave me alone.
Adrian Anderson joins us and he sees a fair bit of the uh grassroots footy 'cos he's still playing himself he's the A F L general manager of football operations hello Ade.
How you going Brad Barra.
Mm things are alright whadda your wuh wuh what's your stance on people whether they wanna leave at midway through the third quarter if they're not happy with their side.
Oh look y'know I think it's better to stay there to the end but sometimes y'know like if uh I I remember going out to Waverley Park as a kid with the old man 'n' if you got caught in the uh traffic after  the final siren it was about three and a half hours to get out . So uh if it looked like uh it was wuh one-way traffic uh often uh we'd get dragged back out into the car park kicking and screaming at about three quarter time 'n' in retrospect I can understand why.
Nice 'n' cold out there . You would've been there in uh were you there in nineteen-ninety-one preliminary final.
Yes.
E Eagles V Geelong  and the coldest day in the history of the world   wasn't it .
It gets cold out there it used  to be about ten degrees colder than anywhere else in Victoria I think.
But it's supposedly it's in the rain belt isn't it Adrian  don't they say or something.
That's right.
Yeah it was  a brilliant idea to build at Collingwood.
Mind you I c I was over in Perth on the weekend 'n' I tell you what I was uh  driving along down uh Caves Road ih ih uh at at on um  bay.
Oh just down just down Margaret River were you.
Yeah it was about twelve o'clock and uh looked at the temperature there it was huh it was sleeting it was five-point-five degrees 'n' I thought take me back to Melbourne.
Just   checking on grassroots footy were you or.
No we uh  came uhl across for the game on the Friday night.
Yes.
And um and then uh huh had a chance to uh to slip down south there for a for a day or so with the uh with the girlfriend but uh  I tell you what the weather wasn't .
Is this getting serious.
It yeah geh getting reasonably serious.
Ooh  righto  no announcements yet.
Watch this space. Watch this space. Mate what about the split weekend coming up uh um fixturing uh uh I know we know that Melbourne are probably gunna jump up and down a bit this week with the uh the short break Monday to Saturday.
Yeah look uh I I spoke to Ben today about that apparently when the uh fixturing's done the Melbourne uh requested uh to play on the Monday the Queen's Birthday Monday and then the with the turnaround uh on the Sunday uh well I think there was a difficulty playing them with a wuh on the on the Sunday in Melbourne giving the Eagles chance to get back uh on flights or something so uh that was buh my understanding of how that ih situation eventuated.
So  no chance like Melbourne's asking it to be moved to Sunday or has asked it be moved onto Sunday there's no chance of that then is there.
Look uh not that I'm aware of but again it's really up to y'know Ben Buckley 'n' the uh y'know  the the the fixturing guys to uh to to to uh to deal with any request  like that but not that I'm aware of.
Yeah I'm sure Ben obviously knows about this 'cos he's obviously studied it uh but in the N R L as in you might know this too what they do is they have a six week program  and uh every six weeks they revise it 'n' depending on who's playing well 'n' who's not as to who plays in the big games on a Friday night y'know so someone's like ya y'know say Richmond was right down the bottom 'n' you wouldn't want 'em on a Friday night or s or or uh Hawthorn or whatever you'd put someone else in there 'n' then they rejag they rejig it. Is it does that got merit d'ya think.
Um I think there's some real negatives in doing that um one of them is that yih wuh by releasing our fixture early y'know people plan their uh years around uh who's playing when and where y'know they might pick pick uh y'know a game where uh y'know the Eagles or Dockers are travelling to either Sydney or Brisbane or  uh Melbourne on any given particular weekend 'n' it gives people the opportunity to plan their uh years around uh um when the games are on and uh if you if you start doing it on a sort of a six weekly type basis you you take away that sort of certainty out of it.
Okay 'cos uh I guess the networks'd love it there's no doubt about that. Now I saw you oh you said you were over in the west you were obviously at the Eagles game Friday night um uh at one stah I was at the back there standing behind you at one stage there I saw a a television reporter turn to you and say those umpires . How do you firstly how do you find that and secondly  what about the umpires . Who knows.
Oh dear look I I I y'know I think in the uh in the wash up it was probably a pretty even performance by the umpires and I don't think uh y'know either side I think um I'd uh just after he'd finished telling me what  a hard go the Eagles were getting I'd a Essendon supporter telling me what a hard go they were getting  but  no I reckon it's a no-win situation but y'know overall I thought they were pretty good y'know they let the uh the the play go a bit uh in the wet conditions made them um and we saw some really hard desperate footy it was uh it was good to see 'n' I reckon it's fantastic uh y'know f um to see thirty-eight and a half thousand people in those sorta conditions come out 'n' see ih y'know the players real slog it out in those uh conditions was fantastic it was great to be there.
Speaking of umpires uh offering fines now to players who collide with uh umpires accidentally or intently 'n' 'n' why wouldn't it of Michael Voss one of our great nates  uh have b have been charged for pushing Kouta into the umpire.
Yeah I think hum from  what I can gather .
But someone's fired sorry just before I suh just  to add to that wuh uh but what ih what what has happened don't do it again someone says now. I mean.
Yeah look   I I think today um one of the players in um said I don't think Voss actually himself made contact with the umpire.
No he pushed  Kouta there.
But ih if you negligently make contact with an umpire you get fined for that 'n' that's been the case for uh b uh y'know I think a couple of years now but if you recklessly or intentionally make contact with an umpire you're looking at uh a a suspension and if it's intentional y'know probably a lengthy suspension 'n' we s remember Greg Williams's uh suspension was uh y'know for pushing an a uh uh an umpire uh years ago was certainly at the hefty end of the uh scale . Um when you push someone else into an umpire that could amount to something like misconduct 'n' I think uh uh y'know maybe uh Michael got the uh benefit of the doubt there but uh I think the match review panel have made it clear er that um um warning players against that sort of conduct 'n'  I think that's probably um.
Wuh a a and look it's becoming apparent too Adrian 'n' I I know you see a lot of football 'n' you're a keen student of it  uh players are using umpires as screens.
Yeah look and ih huh um.
That's never happened before.
Yeah look uh I think when this problem arose a couple of years ago y'know players were uh er were taking a few uh too many liberties in terms of uh positioning themselves behind umpires 'n' um y'know the a clear message was sent that they need to take the responsibility to avoid contact with the umpires 'n' uh I think that um y'know that uh the match review panel's uh uh sent that message uh uh reasonably clearly uh this weekend as well.
Couple of other uh g off-air callers that wanted some g ask you some questions one was uh  uh if you take a mark 'n' you go back to take a kick 'n' then you play on 'n' you get tackled uh ih would that be considered prior opportunity.
Uh usually that would be oh I think that would be considered prior opportunity but um y'know if there's a split second between uh running off your mark 'n' getting tackled that may not necessarily be y'know prior opportunity or reasonable time but ih if there's any sort of reasonable time in between running o playing on and getting tackled you would expect that uh uh uh a free kick would be payed if it was an incorrect disposal.
So just to explain that uh so if somebody gets the ball 'n' they play on and they've had cha a chance to unload it with by either hand or foot and then they get sort of half tackled but they still get a kick away that's holding the ball isn't it.
No if you get a kick away if you get a correct disposal away uh th th that's not um uh I mean it's hard to generalise but ih ih in in majority of situations if you get a clean disposal by hand o a handball or a kick away you won't be penalised for holding the ball.
Alright that's uh that clears that up because a few people worried about that 'n'  and and Brad's been on about y'know s people sweating on ball winners 'n' that d d gih ih prior opportunity encourages people to do that it's a tagger's paradise.
Uh look oh uh I don't think so I think that um uh what we saw last year t p uh was the highest uh rate of secondary bounces ever um when we're talking last year about the game as a spectacle one of the key issues was uh the number of stoppages  and people deliberately holding the ball in and forcing stoppages and absorbing tackles when they had a reasonable opportunity to get rid of the ball  um this year  the umpires have upped the ante a little bit on players when they do have an opportunity to get rid of the ball and the other aspect of the holding the ball rule that a lotta people don't understand I think ih is that and maybe we should communicate better is that even if you haven't had a prior opportunity and you're tackled you still have to make an attempt to get rid of the ball if your arms are free. So if you sit there with your arms free having been tackled and do nothing that is holding the ball under  the uh under the laws of Australian football  you must make an effort.
And just one more here Barney sorry uh Cameron Mooney deliberate out of bounds in the Geelong game uh Geelong Adelaide have you id had a chance to look at it and uh what was your view.
Yeah I I saw that one uh today um and I asked a uh the the the um I think it was one that they uh found a difficult one to uh adjudicate on because when they look at deliberate you look at they look at a couple of things 'n' and wuh w well for the first question is wuh what's the player's intent well um to work that out they look to y'know ih how much pressure was the player under and uh secondly y'know was there a uh uh how with what sort of force did the ball go over the boundary line and was there a team mate in the vicinity so in this case they said well he was under a lotta pressure he's being tackled  um th uh the team mate uh Ling was in the vicinity but he wasn't right up close to where it was 'n' what sort of force did it go over with did he handball it straight out on the full no it bounced twice before it went over so weighing those things up they thought y'know was a was a was a a line ball one 'n' they um y'know that's about it I guess.
Good on you Adrian thanks very much for your time hope you got some nice wine when you were down south.
Thanks for having me on guys.
Adrian Anderson there from the A F L after seven Paul Barnard's gunna join us he's playing in the E G gah E J game tomorrow night but I wanna talk to him about something else Barra  here on Sports Today.
""" We are Talking Real Estate on eight-eighty-two Six P R thank you Len and good morning to Craig Turnbull from Aspire how are you mate."
Good morning Harvey and good morning Perth the answer is fantastic.
Fantastic that's very very good indeed nice uh day it'll be a bit later on to uh go out 'n' have a look at um well first of all the uh Eagles probably whacking the Hawks unfortunately  but also to go 'n' have a look at real estate today.
Yeah great day to be uh in real estate ab absolutely I think the sun'll be out and uh not too hot and uh good time to be out there uh there's not that much on the market right now Harvey uh only about seven-thousand statistih statistically speaking and that's quite a lot less than than what's normally uh the case normally luh in a inverted commas average market there's about twelve-thousand 'n' what it means is there's a lot of competition for uh the good property out there. Uh lotta my mentoring students 'n' people that I that we deal with are saying Craig w y'know wuh we're putting our offers in 'n' 'n' getting beaten because uh the market's still very strong out there.
Yeah it is. There's no doubt about that still going s going gang busters really isn't it. And uh no sign of slowing it doesn't seem.
No uh it hasn't I look it hasn't been a crazy market Harvey but it's been steadily strong 'n' that's actually that that's quite good. I think uh overall um the rest of Australia is complaining that um real estate market's gone quiet but it's not the case over here. There's lot of indicators which uh show us it'll keep continuing Harvey I think all going well all things being equal that is. Uh and one of those is uh on the paper today Harvey. It's on page eleven  Perth house rents jump fourteen per cent  this year. That's quite incredible uh what they're saying is the median house rent now for a home is two-hundred-and-seventeen-dollars a week and um units d rose sixteen per cent to a hundred-and-fifty-nine. There's a lot going on um lot of high quality homes being built which is lifting the median price and also um there is been a sharp rise in rental uh sorta take up rates um vacancy rate's fallen Harvey from two years ago where it was four per cent down to two-point-six per cent now what that means is there's there's less homes available for renters to take up . And as there's less 'n' less available prices start to move up . Now at three per cent uh that's like the market balance. Uh and anything under that means r rents will continue to move up so as long as the vacancy rate's tight like that rents'll go up and uh people who are renting uh look I'm sorry folks the rents will keep moving up.
I was gunna say people who're gunna read this that have got investment properties are gunna say hang on I haven't put the rent up for a couple of years I'm gunna do so now.
That that's correct  that's quite correct lotta s prop lotta property managers out there will be going oh gee I haven't lifted thah lifted our rents lately  and in the next reviews they'll all be going up now what else this does is that uh it means investors are gunna look at this and go oh we can get a better rent return . Because the last couple years uh prices have moved up quite a bit but rents haven't followed. And it means that the rent returns f on the investment have been l have been low or getting getting smaller.
Yes people that have been uh for example buying uh let's say a two-hundred-thousand dollar investment property uh you should be getting y'know f this is what we've learned over the years uh two-hundred dollars a week rent but they've been getting around about say the one-eighty one-eighty-five mark now.
Or or even less.
Yeah and now they're gunna go like two-ten two-fifteen  that's how I read that.
It's completely possible  um the the Perth rents have traditionally been a little bit low. I think uh compared the rest of the country but it ih it is catching up  so um for those of you out there sitting thinking that maybe that you'll wait around 'n' just keep renting and you wait for the price of property to come down I I can't see it not in the  in the immediate short term. Barring interest rate doubling tomorrow night  and I'm not saying that's gunna happen of course but uh the the market everything everything all the indicators for our market are quite strong Harvey.
Mm. Alright uh give us a call nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two or real estate at six P R dot com dot A U real estate at six P R dot com dot A U you can call us now get in nice 'n' early as I've been exhorting you to do and um I'm surprised you've had time to pop in this morning you're a busy lad at the moment how's the s the seminar going.
Great we started last night I've got a group of sixty very excited happy people all learning about real estate 'n' themselves 'n' how to invest 'n' plans 'n' strategies 'n' they're learning stuff they never thought that that that they would  and we've got two full days as soon as I finish here I'll be racing off down to the to the technology park function centre 'n' they'll be there waiting so that's g great. I only get to do it once a year  these days um there was a time early in uh my education career where we're doing it four or five times a year but these days we've got our mentoring groups we've got our finance broking we've got our prop property find our project marketing and we're looking at some land investments there's there's so much happening for us right now Harv I just don't get to do this any more than once a year.
Yeah alright and uh you go today and tomorrow as well.
Today and tomorrow  two 'n' a half full days which is great so very excited about it.
Alright well I must pop into one of those one of these days so that I'll know what you're not ness I'm I haven't got any extra cash at the moment that is for sure but having said that just to see uh y'know what it's like.
What we do  Harvey you'd always be welcome.
Alright lovely. Okay uh Isaac of Merriwa you're welcome too to uh call us or you have. Good morning Isaac.
Good morning how are you .
Good morning Isaac fantastic.
Oh that's good um I was just ringing up to find out what your opinion would be about the northern corridor sort of around  noh or north of Clarkson um Merriwa all those sort of areas. Um wuh within the next say three four years. I've got a house I've already bought um last year and I'll probably be selling it about say another three four years when I move.
Okay so you're talking about Clarkson 'n' m and Merriwa.
Uh Merriwa  yeah.
Well look if you'd asked me ten years ago  about Clarkson or Merriwa I would have said well just try and avoid it because um when they first developed the area ten fifteen years ago there was they they they had inexpensive blocks and filled up by inexpensive homes and the developers at the time didn't put any y'know limestone walls in to level the blocks up some of them are like sides of mountains  and um they were all cut and filled and uh it didn't look attractive and the homes weren't the best available 'n' I would've said well y'know try 'n' steer clear but  um these days uh l like the the latter part of the developments have been really good  and pricewise very inexpensive compared  with what's around it like Clarkson the median price is only two-hundred-and-ten-thousand currently  a and uh Merriwa uh it's not much more than that I think it's actually yeah actually bang on two-ten as well so  what's happening is you've got Mindarie's been revitalised  and there's new shopping centres gone in there you've got the freeway being extended 'n' the railway line's on its way up there . So those two things the freeway and the railway will make a massive difference  to Merriwa and Clarkson and at two-ten-thousand it's now looking pretty cheap actually  . So I think you'll find if you if you look at I mean there's there's areas within areas there's suh  some parts of Clarkson Merriwa Merriwa which are looking really good so that'd be a fantastic spot to hang onto  particularly with the railway and freeway o unuh on the way.
Yeah you don't know how far the freeway's going up do you.
Uh look I gotta look at my map here. It's on it's way up to I think it's cuh th Currambine now is the the railway that is. My understanding is they plan to push it right through well  way past that but uh  how when I don't know. Um  there there's talk that in future it'll end up at Yanchep but I mean I'd I don't know.
Yeah but they're concentrating on the Kwinana freeway extension at the moment  obviously but yeah .
They they can only do one thing at a time.
The railway goes all the way to Clarkson now the station's already open.
Okay good that well  that that's good news  and but the but the freeway's coming.
Yeah that's right yeah alright thanks for that.
Yeah so look I mean hang on and uh I think thah y'know it's inexpensive real estate compared to what's around it.
Good  on you thanks Isaac uh good little pocket up there by the way is a little suburb now called Ridgewood. I know a bit about this 'cos I well I had two kids living there at one stage I've still got one living there. And uh Ridgewood was uh part of Merriwa. It was uh the old Carnegie Heights estah I think it was Carnegie Heights or ss cuh Carnegie something anyway estate and uh Ridgewood is is quite a nice little sorta suburb within a suburb if if you like 'n'  uh mm.
Well look at the difference Harv ih with with um Merriwa Clarkson the your median price is at two-ten . Now in Ridgewood which is right in the middle it's two-forty-seven  and a half. Quite  quite a bih quite a big difference  because that was like one of the later stages  so to speak and they learnt their lessons from first the first part of that developments and it's ih done at a much higher standard and the prices reflect that.
Yeah. I was house-sitting up there uh for my daughter 'n' son-in-law when they went up to Singapore for a little holiday and uh it's funny because  it was only for a few days but you get kinda used to having a a good look at the suburb again . And I thought this is a l nice little jewel in the crown of uh those those suburbs at the moment.
Yeah very much the same as um there's a suburb uh in the middle of Currambine I guess it's not really a suburb like an estate in the middle of Currambine called Somerly  and that's been put together very much like um Subi Centro in East Perth . And uh that's actually looking quite quite good as well. It's still a part of um tt uh sorta Currambine and Clarkson but uh it's it's called they've given a name 'n' they've given it an identity and uh prices there are quite a bit higher than what's around it.
Yep okay nice little place to have a look at alright let's go to Como hello Joan.
Oh good morning Harvey good morning Craig.
Good morning Joan.
It's gunna be a lovely day I hope.
Absolutely.
Yeah it looks lovely out there um I was just wondering what suburbs like you were saying Somerly but what prices did you say they're about two-forty-seven per um apartment are they.
Nuh uh well they're  yeah there is there is an apartment complex going up in Currambine  prih prices starting at two-hundred-thousand 'n' that's that's right next to the railway there . We we said Ridgewood was two-forty-seven and a half as the median price that's the middle price.
Yes.
So half the sales were less than that 'n' half the sales were more than that just the middle price . 'Cos median price is a good guide.
Oh right the medium price  and that is in um the suburb is again.
That was Ridgewood.
Ridgewood that's  right yes. 'Cos they're all sorta new I haven't always heard some of these before y'know I don't travel a huge amount  but with um the rental 'n' that it makes it a little bit hard 'n' if they're students the young people um they trying to find accommodation because they don't they c it's not always convenient to sort of young people that come from the country or wherever uh or s perhaps they're from other countries they don't always have a chance to um get accommodation every um kind of as students there is always a kind of overflow if you know what of young people trying to get accommodation.
That's true and it's a bit of a challenge even more in the coming uh uh market Joan because vanc vacancy rate's very tight  and uh yeah it means rents are going up for it's evuh even more challenging for them.
Yes that's right but I'm interested in reading that book of yours that you've got three books haven't you.
I have yes.
Yes okay.
Have you got them.
I'm sorry.
Do you have the books or.
Um no I was going to ha um try 'n' get the first one I  thought.
Joan wuh there's three books the first one or the the beginning one so to speak is called It's Easy to Invest in Property.
Easy to invest .
It's Easy toh yeah that's that's for if you have got not a lot of knowledge about property that's a good one to start at that's a twenty dollar book . And then the next one's called It's Easy to be a Property Millionaire . And then the more advanced one is called Unlimited Cashflow.
Unlimited Cashflow .
Yeah now you can get any of those books any of those books from uh Angus and Robertson or Dymocks or Collins  um  or if you wanna buy all three together you could ring our office on Monday morning 'n' get a special package price.
Uh at the office okay.
Yeah and that's uh.
Are you under your name aren't you.
Yeah uh Craig Turnbull yes.
Yes.
So you could  go hunt those books out from ol almost anywhere or give our office a call on Monday.
Good on you thanks for your call Joan it's sixteen minutes past seven.
Okay it's twenty-four minutes past seven plenty of calls on the board Craig so let's get to them. Mary of Two Rocks g'day Mary.
Ah g hi how you guys  going this morning.
Hi Mary thanks for waiting.
Uh listen I'm just wondering um you're probably aware of what's happening up here with Capricorn the Harford Grove and Lindsays Beach . And then uh that's down like towards Yanchep and then there's The Reef the all those blocks are opening soon I'm just wondering uh a lot of the uh blocks down at the Yanchep end are those cottage blocks two-hundred-and-thirty square metres.
Yes.
And then that then they seem to go up to about four-hundred there's one for seven-hundred-and-four square metres 'n' then a couple of two-thousand. I don't know what's gunna happen with The Reef but I'm just wondering how do you think this will affect uh like we're in Two Rocks we're in the yachting village. Would that tend to put the values up or drop them a bit. When all that development happens.
I would tend to think Mary that that would increase values 'n' I'll tell you why. Um people who are buying the smaller blocks um oh actuh all those those homes that'll be built there will probably be pretty high quality  and depending on the covenants that the the developers have put on the on the land um uh I would think that that you've gotta build a certain quality and certain size home so what that tends to to do is lift the overall quality uh of housing in the area so uh uh prices will follow so.
Right ih.
I l I I think Yanchep and Two Rocks really needs that kind of developmys  myself.
Yes uh what do you think uh do you know anything about what's happening with The Reef that's that's right uh on the border on the uh farmlands at Two Rocks there.
Mary I don't I I really don't.
No.
No I'm sorry.
Alright then.
Okay Mary thank you uh let's go to Abe of Rivervale hello Abe.
How're ya good morning gentlemen um  just just a question about uh we're looking to buy a property for the family to live in ourselves and uh we're looking at the suburb of Lynwood. What uh what are we what would we be looking at in terms of paying for a home there a three by one or a three by two.
Ih good question um the median price in Lynwood as at March was two-hundred-'n'-five-thousand we're waiting for the June figures out 'n' I suspect Lynwood would have jumped quite a bit. Um two-oh-five sounds very very very very very cheap and I I think that that's got some real up upside in it compared to like what's around it like Langford's one-eighty-two uh you got other areas um Parkwood around it um y'know higher again than that so I think Lynwood's looking pretty cheap right now. Other thing with Lynwood is um the Lynwood Arms is gunna be I think part of it gunna be taken down and uh brand new townhouses're gunna be built there um Abe Saffron's just got that underway 'n' those townhouses'll be in a b sorta three-hundred-thousand plus price bracket so I I think that um Lynwood is great value so you probably looking probably for an like an like an average home in a good condition in Lynwood probably two-twenty to two-fifty I'd say something in in that range.
Right right  excellent.
Yeah is that that work for you.
Yeah wuh well we've looked at a couple 'n' we're there's one that's a like a more of a an older home nineteens-fifties that's in our price range roughly and but it's on a big block like a nine-hundred square metre block.
Yes.
And uh they're the price would I'm just trying to find out what whether these p whether they're inflating the price or if it's reasonable they're looking at about two-thirty two-hundred-'n'-thirty-thousand for the home it's a three by two. So it's an older.
Is there much mah much work to do on the home Abe.
Um just just uh the roof needs to be replaced probably 'cos it's asbestos . But it's a it's a solid brick uh brick home uh floor tiles are it's painted it's already painted floor tile uh the it's got dark wooden floorboards uh and and a big uh backyard with a  with a with a uh concrete pool cement pool in it.
Eh but it's not it's not bad value just get that roof changed 'n' and you'll be set I think.
Right excellent  okay thanks very much.
You're welcome matey . Let's head off to Kenwick g'day Christine.
Oh good morning uh  I'd uh I'd just like to know about the values in Kenwick I heard you speaking about the one on Anaconda Drive in in um Gosnells. My place is about the same sound sounded about the same anyway. But we have a granny flat instead of the workshop. So I I just wondered where we were in Kenwick.
Okay well median price that's the middle price in Kenwick uh as of March was a hundred-'n'-seventy-six-thousand. The lowest price was a hundred-'n'-sixty-seven so there's obviously a lot of lotta homes being sold in that price bracket and the the high price is five-hundred-'n'-fifty. Lotta activity out in Kenwick uh at the moment um uh t to get anything decent uh is getting much much harder under two-hundred-thousand these days.
Yeah we  we keep getting real estate people offering to sell .
Of course yeah because th they're all chasing listings 'cos there isn't much available out there so um people putting their homes on the market right now are starting to get y'know pretty good prices. Where you'd be look I don't know without seeing your property but I'd certainly say two-hundred plus but how far more than that I just don't know without seeing it so get get three appraisals written appraisals 'n' see what they say.
Yeah.
And oh  the highest one isn't always the best Christine.
Thanks Christine ah before the headlines Carl of Maylands g'day Carl.
Yeah g'day Craig and Harvey how you going.
Fantastic Carl.
Uh just want to ask you Craig uh what you know about the Mangles Bay development down there at Rockingham.
Carl absolutely nothing  . Where where is it.
It's uh it's heading towards y'know that the bridge that goes across to Garden Island.
Yes I know the bridge very well.
If you go onto the um Rockingham Development Authority's uh website there's something on there about Mangles Bay 'n' they're putting forward proposals to build a marina there and possibly c uh canals I think.
Sorry now I know where you're talking about yeah  look look I I have heard of it but they're facing some stiff opposition from the locals  uh environmentals um and so on but uh there's a big push behind that particular section and in time it it will happen I think it should happen given that they can take care of all the environmental side of things  um I think it would really help uh Rockingham uh go ahead so keep your eye on that  the way to make money outta that kind of uh development is to get in there beforehand it's a risk because it's not a given it may or may not happen  mm but there's a bit of a a y'know there's a strong push behind that one so I I suspect in time ih it'll go ahead but I mean I I don't know for sure.
Okay I've actually got a townhouse down there at Palm Beach so you think it's worth holding onto.
Oh yes . Absolutely yeah yeah hang on to that one.
Great thank you for that.
Cheers.
Good on you Carl thank you for your call bye.
Bye.
Worth waiting for wasn't it twenty-four minutes to eight o'clock nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two or real estate at six P R dot com dot A U. We've got Riaz has sent us a an email which we'll get to in a minute but Tony of Darch has been waiting on forever on the phone g'day Tony.
How's it going.
Good.
Hi Tony.
Hi how's it going I was just wanting to ask you a question um have you heard of a estate in Stirling called civling guh Civic Gardens Estate.
Uh that's just right next to the um the old council building yes.
Yeah that one there what do you reckon about that that's that little bit of l that little pocket there.
Well uh uh  I th yeah.
Blocks are about three-hundred-and-eighty square metres.
Yes.
And you have to put the the garages at the back 'n' the actual y'know no garage at the front but thah garah like a Subi Centro style.
Yes.
With the little laneway at the back what do you  what what'd something be worth  what would the house be worth at the end of the day when it's all done . The blocks are about two-twenty to buy.
Yes.
'N' then you gotta put ih and you can't put single-storey you have to go up on three-hundred-'n'-eighty square metres.
Yeah uh what then what you'll find is then that uh  your prices probably end up between four five-hundred-thousand something like that. Um and look that little pocket of land there is like it really  for all intents and purposes shouldn't be residential it's like it's been created out of out of nothing and uh to get land like that in the middle of Stirling uh is not an easy thing to do and you will find that um creating land like that is is kind of unique and that's why they're they can get the prices they want it's r y'know just back from the freeway you're not far from y'know Karrinyup shopping centre y'know ten minutes from the beach you've ten minutes from town I think locationwise it's it's pretty good and uh what they are creating there is a high quality subdivision that'll uh be uh wuh will attract uh big houses 'n' people wih with big wallets so I think that uh if it is built the way I think it's gunna be built it could be terrific pih piece of real estate.
Thank you very much indeed Tony uh Riaz as I said wrote to us. .
Look I don't know what the exact prices are uh in Settlers Hill but uh Baldivis the the median prices are just jumping like crazy which is quite incredible. Um y we're looking at around about three-hundred-'n'-twenty-five-thousand as a median price 'n' that's what I mean the blocks are probably one-thirty to one-sixty kind of in that range 'n' then you're spending that again on a home so y with three-hundred three-twenty-thousand for ol almost like a first home out there. Most of 'em are being built four by two quite big homes and and mm ih they're all relatively high quality. Uh but Baldivis for mine 'n' Settlers Hill it sort of  I don't know it seems like a long way from anywhere for me. For mine um not down near the water it's just off the freeway I guess it's only like like a half hour trip into town. But uh I'm I'm not quite sure why the the prices are suh are so high there it's just  it's beyond me actually.
Okay uh Paul of Connolly g'day Paul.
Yeah g'day guys how are youse.
Hey  Paul.
Um yeah we just got a um uh situation we had couple of investment properties and our place um in Heathridge and we've sold one of the investment properties and our place and moved to um Connolly uh we've still got our investment property in Scarborough I was just didn't know whether we'd be best off um selling that  'cos all the equity's sort of in in the um the unit we've got in Scarborough  selling that 'n' sort of putting the money back into our own place 'n' then buying another investment property . Which we can fully negative gear.
Yeah good question um there's a lotta things to s consider there number one what tax will you pay if if and when you pa you sell Scarborough that's one thing to consider. Um at the moment if you've got a big loan on Connolly and no loan on the Scarborough property well that's all back to front. Ideally as you put it uh you all your debt you want against property you're renting out so it's all tax-deductible so that's ideal.
Yeah just tha tha tha that's the situation we've got where you don't know  you're looking at paying about thirty-thousand capital gains tax if we sell the unit in Scarborough.
Yeah so how much is that gunna hurt you versus what you'll save  if you sold Scarborough used that money to pay your own home in Connolly off and then used the equity in Connolly to go again  um it it's a matter of sitting down and working the numbers Paul and perhaps getting some some accounting advice.
Yeah where can you go to get accuh accounting advice 'cos I mean I've I've tried to find people 'n' they always try and sell you either houses or a development they're doing or they um.
Okay.
Know what I mean it's like there's no one out there who actually does that sort there's not that I can find anyway.
Yeah look there you're you're right there're very few but look these days to survive in business you've gotta have more than one uh arrow ih in your quiver 'n' that's what what um suh the added value services are all about. Um look any number of ways you c you could look at it but if you want to know who my accountant is y would you like to know that or.
Yeah yeah.
Yeah guy named Nigel Plowman and he operates  his company's called McKinley Plowman  and they're up at Joondalup and.
actually.
Oh is he.
Yeah believe it or not.
Go and talk to Nigel I mean.
Oh well we ee sort of wih went and spoke to Nigel once before 'n' he sort of um put onto one of his uh um accountants that works for him sorta thing.
Okay.
But yeah no I'll I will do that then.
Yeah look sm smart fella smart company and uh he could give you some suggestions but uh I mean sit down and work it out for yourself I mean you you sound like a smart fella to me work the numbers and theh see what wha the best bet.
Yeah cool not a problem.
Cheers.
Thanks Paul.
Thank you see ya.
Okay Irene Mossie Park g'day Irene.
Uh good a good morning.
Hi Irene.
Hello.
Yes Irene what can we do for you.
Okay um I live in Mosman Park but my daughter is looking to buy a property in Cannington and I have absolutely no idea how to work out the prices this ih this is a vacant lot of four-hundred-'n'-ninety-eight square metres um adjoining recreation reserve on river frontage and they want three-hundred-'n'-fifty-thousand . Um because there's no history there of the h of a house being there 'n' it being sold previously how do you tell whether three-hundred-'n'-fifty-thousand is a reasonable price.
Yeah good question that's a really tough one my my first instinct is that's a lotta money . A five-hundred square metre block in Cannington a vacant block you'd probably buy like a an ordinary one for about one-fifty one-sixty maybe  a a a v a vacant block of that size  but if it's like at a premium location there aren't many blocks like it available down on the riverside there you may well get more. Three-fifty sounds like a lotta money to me.
Yeah  that's what I that was my first instinct.
Yeah the the only way to uh really compare is to find some some other riverside lots like  maybe over at Wilson or depends on wuh y'know somewhere nearby  um very challenging to price something where there's nuh no other comparables and pretty much what the developers have gone is well this is unique  I'm gunna price it up at whatever I like 'n' 'n' y'know whoever if they wanna live there they'll they'll pay for it . To me it sounds like a lotta money.
Okay. Okay thank you.
Thanks Irene.
Bye.
Okay Irene thank you very much indeed uh who's next might be Susie at Herne Hill g'day Susie.
Hi.
Good morning Susie.
Hi um I've just been given some um information about some blocks at Jurien Bay. They're house blocks and there's no time to build on 'em. What would be um like if I was to buy one and sell it without building on it would that be worth it.
It depends on whether you can make a profit on it or not.
Yeah I mean that's what I mean uh what's the aerh y'know is that area like uh I mean it's miles away y'know.
Yeah it is Jurien's certainly moving though. There is a a few land subdivisions opening up there in anticipation of the that inner coastal road opening up 'n' when that does that's gunna make it more uh attractive to Perth people. I mean  it's closer than than um than Busselton-Dunsborough and every bit as attractive if you like the beach 'n' have been fishing 'n' that. Um and prices are are a loh are a lot cheaper I guess but uh y'know look whether or not you'd make a profit immediately will depend on how much land's available and what the demand is Susie just be careful  do some research and don't jump in in too much of a hurry okay.
Okay then.
Good luck.
Thank you  Susie.
Bye.
Bye seventeen to eight.
Thirteen minutes to eight and uh plenty of calls on the board still Roger of Padbury g'day Rog.
Yeah morning Harvey 'n' Craig.
Good morning Roger.
Um  I've got a suh scenario Craig um where  um I've been transferred down uh to a country area and uh I'm living in the house my house at the moment which I nearly own. And uh I've got a a residential uh another residential property which I owe very little on and a commercial property which is positively geared. Now I've just bought another property uh in the um in the country area which I have to live in so there's no tax deduction for me there um I'm just wondering y'know sorta where do I go from here I've got approximate borrowings of five-sixty and approximate values of eight-ninety-six.
Okay so what you're asking me is there uh room for you to luh invest some more property or is or is that what you.
Yeah yeah basically um yeah what sort of what what sort of uh area can I go into now where I can hopefully y'know get some sorta tax deduction 'cos I'm just gunna beh be paying uh too much tax probably on my rents 'n' that.
Alright well first thing about paying paying tax is it's great because number one it means you're breathing 'n' number two it means you're making a profit  so don't be too worried about it and there are laws for anyone anyone can use them to lower their tax so um first thing is to sit down and figure out where you're at now figure out where you wanna be in ten years from now and then work backwards 'n' if then follow a plan. One thing I've been teaching uh everyone at the seminar um I'm doing this weekend is make a plan. Alright sounds like you got the beginning of like yeah you know you wanna y'know look after yourself in the future but create a strong plan Roger 'n' then start working forward from there. It's a matter of finding out what it is you want what's right for you you got a couple of residential properties you got one commercial one and yeah look clearly figure out uh what kinda property fits in your portfolio and then go and buy some. Um do some great research make a plan and um make a good purchase so nothing wrong with that get my books I mean mm  really inexpensive go into or call our office on one-three-hundred-one-three-two-nine-four-one or any good bookstore and that'll give you some idea where to aim so make a plan is the is the most important thing I I could say to you Roger and then be confident you can go ahead.
Okay. Alright thanks Craig.
Thanks  for calling.
Okay to Carine Wayne hello Wayne.
Yeah good morning gentlemen.
Hi Wayne.
Um just a query on what do you think about Carine I just look at the surrounding uh suburbs like Marmian and North Beach seem to be flying ahead um Karrinyup's being rezoned 'n' y'know making lots of money 'n' Carine seems to be like the sleepy little suburb in the middle that's sorta just plodding away plodding away. Um do you see it going up much in the future or s just plugging away as it has been for the last say fifteen years or so.
Well Carine tt I dunno why it really has as you say just plugged along  um look at uh Gwelup on the other side of it  um that's really come along with all the new homes that were built there uh and I mean the the price at Gwelup is around three-hundred-'n'-forty-thousand as of March but it's three-seventy as December so Gwelup's nice. Carine's looking around about the four-hundred-thousand sort of median price uh as as of March but uh North Beach and Marmian are more than a hundred-thousand more than that. So Carine by comparison looks like pretty good value to me. I think uh uh y'know it's not bad buying there  um have you got property there already.
Yeah I own a property here I've h had it here for about seventeen years but  um y'know it's that it's the wh whether you sell or not 'n' move on y'know if you sell it it's gunna go isn't it  if you don't ih it won't sort of thing.
Yeah look the last five years uh Carine's improved by nine-point-six per cent per year so  if you look at that versus all the areas around it it really has underperformed uh I don't know why . Um I don't think that'll stay that way forever myself.
No.
Uh I I think Carine's got all the all the I wants it's close to everything you wanna be close to and I think that uh you'll probably see in the next three to five years a lot of uh extended building going on there. Now what I mean by that is renovations happening 'n' people adding uh adding rooms to the large blocks that are there . And yeah you'll find that the suburb will start improving so y'know look if unless you can find uh another area that you think'll perform better why would you sell why would you sell 'n' pay any tax 'n' pay all those transfer fees 'n' if you're happy there stick around.
Yeah that's right okay then thanks for that mate.
Thanks.
Good on you thank you bye.
See you later Wayne hello Betty of Mullaloo.
Hello Craig and Harvey.
Hi  Betty.
I've just would like your opinion please I've been looking around for three by two by twos. I have sold my home 'n' so I have about three-hundred-'n'-twenty-thousand to spend on an on a three by two by two  I've looked in Innaloo um uh Nollamara Morley all those areas around there and I've been stuck on the best designer and the best unit I can see is in Nollamara South Nollamara  where they're doing lots of new units and new two-storey homes. Is it a good idea I'm going to be putting in an offer in today perhaps to hold the unit for myself. It's not quite finished until October but the builders and the uh owners want between three-twenty-five 'n' three-thirty-five for the it's a duplex arrangement a three by two by two  a lovely design.
Is it single-storey Betty.
Yeah single-storey.
Alright and uh a large home.
Yes lounge room and family room in this yi it's a duplex but it's got a lounge room and a family room and love lots of cupboards and a lovely design.
Alright now the median price in Nollamara as at March was two-fifty-three uh with a bullet that's really jumping up there  I think there's still room to go. Uh if you look at uh 'n' like Yokine it's three-fifty median price.
I can't find  anything that's nice around  three-twenty.
See Yokine's nearly a hundred-thousand more and  you're talking about inverted commas South Nollamara I guess that's the that's that's the better part of Nollamara if if you could say that  and that's on the Yokine border so uh by comparison that looks like reasonable value. Um so look I I can't see any any challenge why you shouldn't make that offer if it's within your budget how how how much have you looked around Betty.
I have been searching I've been going through these concrete slabs on the ground and   half-walls and asking for them to send me the plans and seeing there's no cupboards and there's y'know things are wrong with all the units.
Alright but this one's singing to you.
This one's lovely .
Theh then this is the one that that's for you  I think.
Thank you cr uh  Craig I was  hoping  you would say that.
Betty it sounds okay.
Good on you.
Thank you bye-bye.
It's seven minutes to eight uh good morning now.
Running outta time Craig four minutes to eight o'clock time though to talk to Laurie at Cooloongup g'day Laurie.
Yeah good morning.
Morning Laurie.
Juh uh wanna get a bit of an idea of what the property around um Cooloongup or East Waikiki or something like that they call it  uh four by one double garage plenty of parking rumpus room all that just get a bit of an idea.
Okay very hard for me to give you an exact number without seeing your home um  I can tell you that the the Cooloongup median price that's the middle range price which you'd think'd be like a three by one uh was a hundred-'n'-eighty-thousand as at uh the end of March and in uh Waikiki it was two-hundred-'n'-fifteen-thousand now that's uh you'd think that'd be a three by one so if it's a four by one and it's a great place and it's in good condition Laurie you'd certainly be over two-hundred-thousand but how much I don't know. Um have you had uh any local real estate agents give you an appraisal yet.
Ah y get plenty of informuh plenty of pamphlets in the letterbox.
Yeah stacks of 'em . Look it wouldn't hurt to invite one or two of the the I guess the more well-known ones to come 'n' give you a written appraisal. Are you actually thinking of selling or just trying to figure out what it's worth.
Ah just get a bit of an idea I'm at a bit of a dilemma at the moment um uh so I just have to uh hang fire  but  there's no harm in getting some info.
Yeah looh I I'm guessing and I really I'm not sure without y'know get a local specialist in there but uh but probably at least two-hundred maybe two-twenty-thousand somewhere in that range but uh g get some local help Laurie uh 'n' that that's your best bet.
Thanks Laurie quickly Gail uh just uh purchased a second investment home six months old unfinished. They've borrowed the full amount plus enough to add a patio. .
That's a good question there's so many m mixes 'n' matches with that one.
Well why don't I print this out and uh you can have a look at it during the week 'cos it is an all day question isn't it.
Yeah it it uh f I need to understand what happened there I don't know whether they're living in it or not living in it um ih if you're living in it doesn't make any difference because you can't claim any depreciation benefits. Um look print that one out Harv 'n'  'n' I'll take that one under advisement.
Okay now just before we go wanted to talk to you about an article wuh was it Wednesday's paper about  big redevelopment at the old Swan brewery site.
Harvey Perth is growing up um wuh there's a a proposal for two like sixty-storey towers that they'll be two tallest buildings in Perth uh with about a thousand apartments in total  being built on this on this site that's been empty for like the last twenty or thirty years I th I think pretty much. Uh and uh finally a developer has got approvals from all the relative bodies to build these two amazing big towers and I think that's gunna be a watershed for for the city and um I hope that um they get plenty of buyers and uh uh people decide that um that's a good thing to be in uh myself I'm not sure about it but uh.
What do you reckon they'll sell for  pretty hard to tell now isn't it.
Look I'd be surprised if they start out at under three-hundred-thousand  and probably y'know upwards of y'know million plus for the for the top-storey apartments probably even even more than that for the  for the penthouses uh y'know I haven't seen the configuration yet so.
Thousand apartments.
Uh yeah that's huge  that that's a lot of volume I dunno how they're gunna do it but good luck to them.
Alright well we'll watch that one with a great deal of interest. Mate thanks to everyone who called us today had a lotta calls  and uh sorry if you tried to get through 'n' you couldn't quite manage it but uh try again next week that's when we'll be back with Real Estate between seven and eight you have a lovely week Craig and I will talk to you at seven o'clock next Saturday morning.
Thanks very much and luh look looking forward to it.
And we're looking forward to the news with Len right now and then it'll be our Saturday Garden Party with Sue McDougall.
""" Good afternoon Howard Sattler with you welcome to the Drive program here on eight-eighty-two Six P R I'll be with you till six o'clock tonight 'n' then uh after that we'll be crossing over to tonight's A F L match. Give me a call if you feel moved nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two. First up an issue that uh should uh interest I think all parents well if it doesn't uh you uh aren't as interested as you should be in your children's learning. The debate on lessons about being homosexual or lesbian in our schools has moved down a few notches to primary school. Story books on gay families and being gay are being recommended for children between four and eight years of age by the state school union to its members. One novel The Family Book talks about adopted families one parent families and families with two parents of the same sex. Teachers and parents were asked to use it to encourage children to talk about their families and the different kinds of families that exist. Another book's called Sissy Duckling by an American gay rights activist has as its central character a boy duckling who shies away from sporting and other masculine pursuits in favour of baking cakes and stage performances. While most callers to the station the other day were in favour of gay rights groups explaining homosexual lifestyles to year twelve health studies students exposing early primary years children to the issues is something else. Sixteen and seventeen year olds are of course nearing maturity at age eighteen they'll be fully fledged adults  but kids from four up till eight are still very much adapting to the basics of life which at their age doesn't include dealing with social issues like homosexuality."
Alright so what say you nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two uh do you think that the children as young as four should be exposed to the issue of uh being gay and what it's like to lyh to live life as a gay person. Some of the other books uh which are included and all of these books they say are recommended reading for four to eight years old. There was the one I told you about the Sissy Duckling.  it says. Uh theh . Uh King and King and Family  what they say about that . Mm. And the other one Heather Has Two Mummies. Uh an extract from that tells us that . Well one can only speculate thuh that uh they may be in a same sex relationship. There you go. John Barich is the president of the Australian Family Association g'day John.
Oh g'day.
Whatta you think about all this.
Ah yeah bit over the top .
It sounded a bit innocuous when I read some of those extracts there.
Mm. Yeah well we've always said that this is a matter y'know for parental uh involvement not not teachers. 'Cos the teachers have got thirty kids y'know of different uh whatever and whereas the parents know y'know exactly what to do so we don't welcome um the teachers uh taking these liberties.
Okay it's the State School Teachers' Union  that is recommending it to its uh its members to go there  present these books to the children and teach 'em about the same sex relationships now between the ages of four and eight do you think that that's acceptable.
No not at all and also they are making a big uh sort of jump in logic y'know that  because a person is sissy that somehow he's uh actively s homosexual I mean the inclination is one thing and uh y'know that is perfectly normal but uh to be acting it out is the problem and um I I don't ree I don't see who they're helping by equating sissyness or cooking or things like that with an active homosexual lifestyle I mean it's just nonsense.
Yeah now one of the reasons they're giving for urging teachers to introduce the subject is that they say homophobia is rampant in many schools would that be right.
No not at all and they've been pushing this line for about twenty years and they tell you that y'know the high suisrate  rate is because of it well that ih again is illogical because twenty years ago when sodomy was illegal and people were getting bashed in parks and so on hah the the suicide rate was lower so why is the suicide rate going up. I think there's gotta be other factors and and one of them the ih uh this lacks integrity in the whole uh uh teaching I mean if they were telling the truth to the kids you could almost uh say that it's alright y'know but for instance they never tell them the red cross won't take blood from people who're having sex with the same uh uh gender.
Mm  but what do what what do you think teachers should be saying if a four to eight year old ask questions about a same sex relation maybe they have got two mums at home who are who are couple of lesbians so what should a huh a teacher say  to a four to eight year old.
Well our point uh has been always that this is the thing that the teacher says this is the ask your mummy and daddy. Y'know it's it's for p it's puh puh parental involvement it's not the teacher the teachers have no god-given right to give these sort of sensitive uh lessons. Mathematics physics chemistry is okay because we hundred per cent agreed on it . But with these issues.
I remember when I was at school I was at a state school in Sydney when we were about eleven I think it was they started uh to teach us about the about sex I mean it wasn't intimate things but  it was just y'know what was happening to our bodies 'n' all that sorta thing anything wrong with that.
Oh no not at all no that that's just straight factual stuff but this other stuff's got a high element of choice you see. It's the preferential thing that uh even the gy gay lobby's sorta not clear on that one minute they say it's a preference next minute they say they can't help it they were born like that you see well  they gotta decide what it is if it's a if it's a preference then uh they're not entitled to impose their preference on on on people in a class situation I mean sure they gotta duh uh deal with people who may be sort of extra angry with homosexuals but but that is a a sort of a defence mechanism that societies has  as long as it doesn't go over the top in terms of bashings 'n' so on.
Yeah I was gunna ask you about that what what if uh a gay child or a child who isn't sure of their sexuality at school is picked upon is bullied because of that now how should the teachers deal with that shouldn't  they be telling the whole class that uh something's wrong with that.
Yeah they they gotta say that look ih we don't pick on anybody we don't pick on the fat kid we don't kip  on the smelly kid y'know we don't pick on anybody but on the other hand it doesn't uh say that uh any of these things are uh are sort of uh in order I mean even the obese kid y'know these days we try to tell them stop being obese y'know don't eat so many fat foodies. So with this one it's the same y'know the the inclination you see is totally explicable. I mean y'know people have got this uh um ih inclination and uh nothing you can do about it but then what do you do with the inclination. Now if they go behind the the toilets 'n' y'know fiddle with each other then that is definitely not on.
Mm alright now the education department can say yes or no to this 'n' they say there aren't any permanent policies specific to gay and lesbian issues. The curriculum support material whatever that is provided an inclusive approach to relationship education that doesn't discriminate on sexual preference or gender. Do you think they should get more involved in this.
I think so yeah that's a bit of doublespeak because uh.
I didn't even know what it meant but anyway.
No it's doublespeak. I've been d uh chasing them in fact for twelve months now on teaching more about sexual abstinence in younger kids 'n' also about marriage 'n' they they sort of y'know uh really tell you that n they're not doing this much of it well y'know maybe they should see here they are pushing this and yet on marriage they won't do it because they say that oh uh so many people don't get married well I'm sorry but eighty per cent do get married . So why can't we have lessons about marriage.
Life skills okay  thank you John thanks for your time . President of the Australian uh Family Association now we did wanna speak with Clive Kelly who is the School Teachers' Union convenor of the Bisexual Lesbian Gay Intersex and Transgender Committee. Didn't even know such a committee existed uh he's the the one who is uh pushing this through the union to the teachers um but he's uh apparently in meetings and uh not available. Um so if you have some thoughts about that yes or no to telling four to eight year olds about uh gay and lesbian relationships do you think that's too young nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two is my number.
Right first caller outta the blocks is John of Leederville hello John.
Oh g'day mate. Um I mean this this is just uh I mean The West want an extra ten cents for us to read this rubbish  uh I mean they  tried it a couple of days ago with their um  gays and lesbians in the school and that didn't do any good so they've let it go for a few days then they've run it again. The book's called Sissy Duckling I believe it's written by  a bloke called Harvey weins Feinstein .
Yeah that's one of 'em yeah.
Yeah the book is about bullying. It's got nothing to do with gays.
Have you read it.
No but I've read a an a review of the book 'n' ih the author the author has a review up apparently which the uh bloh person who wrote the article quoted on quoted from. .
He is a gay rights activist the author.
Well that's his that's his business mate it's nothing to do with us.
Okay but the book is about bullying is that what you're saying.
The book is basically about bullying 'n' yeah it's if you wanna read anything more about it go onto the uh internet  and go onto a thing called Red Rag  and read it there it's in it's there's a fair bit about it .
Are y you're saying the book is fine for four to eight year olds.
Well I'm not four or eight I couldn't  tell you but if it's about bullying I mean kids at school get bullied . And also the other book which is uh which apparently is uh uh causing uh concern it is about all families including the traditional nuclear family which apparently the gentleman or lady who wrote the article tended to leave that off as well.
Okay.
Uh I mean .
Selective reporting is that what you're alleging.
Yes.
Okay thank you very much thanks for your call John of Leederville that's him uh Jody of Carramar good afternoon.
Hi Howard how are you this ih today.
Alright thank you.
I'm agreeing with your last caller it is uh they're literature about all different families and I've got a six year old in school now and um I would love her to learn about all families.
Alright do you know whether she's been exposed to any of these books.
She hasn't yet uh my mother also works as a librarian for um E S L and if that sort of literature came into her work she'd probably pass it on to Chloe. It's not they're not teaching homosexuality  what they're what they're showing kids is that there's different families and different ways of living they're not telling them what happens in the bedroom . They're explaining the families.
If if they started reading a book to your daughter called Heather Has Two Mummies the story of a little girl named Heather and her two lesbian mothers would that faze you at all.
It wouldn't faze me at all. Sht my daughter doesn't know at six doesn't know what happens in the bedroom what she's learning is that it's okay for this young girl to have  mothers that young girl then doesn't get teased  and picked on at school because she has two mothers 'cos they're learning acceptance. They're not learning what's happening in the bedroom they're learning acceptance of all families and all things.
Wouldn't they ask what uh a lesbian was.
It duh wuh I doubt it says lesbian in the book I haven't read the book I douh I don't know. But if they did that's when it's up to the parents to deal with that and explain what they think their child can understand.
Could you  explain that to your could you explain that to your six year old.
I doubt that if it was literature for a four to eight year old that they would loose use lesbian in the book . And if they did then I'd I wouldn't go into the sexual references I'd tell her that it was two women that loved each other the way mum and dad love each other.
Fair enough thanks very much.
Thank you.
Jody of Carramar. Marie of Morley.
How you going Howard.
Alright thanks.
Um basically what I wanna say is that I think the kids should learn about this stuff I mean I finished high school two years ago and we had one guy who wouldn't dare come out and say that he was gay even though pretty much everyone knew he was.
I think it it's in this one it's a question of at what age should they learn about it Marie.
I totally agree with that I mean I think you can go around a different way like not straight out coming 'n' talking about lesbians 'n' gays but I mean a book saying y'know this little girl's got two mums 'n' it just brings them more awareness of it not really telling them d'y'know what I mean.
Would it make it appear normal to most kids.
I think they would be a little confused  but I mean if some little kids come out 'n' say oh yeah I've got two mums ih the more they talk about it the more they are gunna understand it.
Yep alright so if you had a uh four to eight year old  would you mind this sorta literature being read out to 'em.
Probably not for a four year old probably around an eight year old yes but yeah I agree with not at four years old I think it's a bit young.
Yeah  thanks Marie.
No worries thanks.
Nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two if you wanna have your say about this uh it is an issue that uh affects all parents or parents to be and uh therefore I think uh you wuh might wanna comment if you're in that category. Paul at Beckenham hello.
Hello how are you.
Alright.
Um I  I um I've got some pretty strong views on this so I tr I'll try 'n' stay within the mainstream talk.
That'd be a good idea.
Yeah um I I the one thing that I don't like about all this is as you just said there a while ago that this is normal . As as it's not a normal thing I'm a man my my wife is a woman. To me that is normal and I think it's it's my right as a parent to teach my kids what is right and what is wrong. And um I I I really believe that that that what they're trying to promote is wrong and there's no way that I'd wanna be telling a four year old kid that that type of thing's acceptable in society. I I think the gay 'n' lesbian community just went a little bit too far by saying that they're normal so does that mean that I'm abnormal because I want my wife to be a woman and.
Uh I'm not s sure that it actually preaches that that's normal or that anything's normal they're just telling about these are the sort of situations in which children might find themselves . They might have two mums.
Yeah but yeah the thing is okay you can have two mums but then you just you're just you're leading kids down a path. And and that's the thing and then ih  if if kids kids are wavering well that's okay to go 'n' do that then that's fine because we've just accepted that as a society.
So when you say you're leading 'em down a path t to what.
To to to to the homosexual side okay I I I'm most of your callers are gunna think I'm a bigot 'n' that type of thing but I just think that I'm normal because I I I think that if I'm in a relationship it should be with women and women only. And and I don't want my kids to be told that that it's alright for them to go and have a relationship with the same sex and  to have two mums or two dads is is acceptable .
Or or is it just about tolerant t tolerance of what is not maybe normal to a lotta people.
N but the thing about it is I think that's where we've gone a lotta things in society it's it's it's I can take parallels of like kids going getting drunk at fifteen 'n' sixteen. We just say that these things are normal now so everything just changes all the time but the thing is there's there's certain normal things in life 'n' 'n' man and woman that's normal. I I don't want my kids to think that they I'm I'm gunna go 'n' divorce my wife 'n' go 'n' get another bloke as a husband because.
So what would you say to your child if uh she had had Heather has Two Mummies read to her where Heather Heather's mummies are Mumma Kate and Mumma Jane she come 'n' said hey dad I was at school today and uh they're talking about a family where there are two mothers w what does that all mean is that okay. What would you say.
I wuh I would say no it's not. I I would say that that's not what we were intended for. I.
What would you say that that's uh ih abnormal immoral  or what.
I would say that's abnormal and immoral. And and the thing that I really feel that way is I I had no problems with gay people  but when they started coming out 'n' saying that they were normal  that's telling me that there's something wrong with me . Because I don't I don't wanna go and have a relationship with a bloke.
Alright Paul thanks very much.
Thank you have a good weekend.
Yeah you too nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two if you want to have your say about this issue it's twenty-two past three.
Phone is just about ringing off the wall at the moment people wanting to talk about uh what we teach our kids particularly little kids four to eight years old should we be teaching 'em as is being proposed about same sex relationships. Rex of Maylands hello.
Yeah g'day uh Bob innit.
No it's Howard he's gone he's g.
Oh oh I'm sorry Howard  it ih it's the first time I've been on I'm a bit  nervous but I've come down from up the bush I've lived up there for years 'n' it's so good to listen to a talkback show but  I wuh I I been wanting to ring up uh uh uh uh a lotta times and and what I wanted to ring about was these V R O for men but the young guy that just talked on the phone a minute ago  he's got more balls than any man and and I admired him now I'm sixty-four years of age  I got a son five and I got one three  both boys now I tell you what if anybody starts teaching 'em that crap about the other stuff I'm normal 'n' so's that young man that was on the phone a minute ago to you. And oh that's the way my sons'll be brought up a man and a woman and that's the way. .
So what happens if uh y you find out from your boy that down at school they've been reading him books like this.
Well uh I'd be straight down there I tell you right now. I I I'd be the first one down there. And I tell you I've b I've been around the mill a few b few few times I've got a young wife she's only thirty-four  and as I said I'm sixty-bloody-four 'n' 'n' 'n' no I mean I've brought up I got three other daughters. They've never had they've never got pregnant thank Christ 'n' w they were brought up in the sixties 'n' seventies  and I taught them right from bloody wrong from the start and at least each and every one of them have had their children and got married and I'm really really proud of them and these little boys of mine are gunna be the same way around mate.
Well ah Rex thank you very much thanks.
No listen I wanna tell you one thing .
Oh n don't wanna talk about violence restraining orders now because.
I wanna tell you a quick joke.
Yeah oh g okay a joke'll do.
Okay. Did you hear about the new Irish Airways they just had they were allowed to come into into Australia for the first time. Anyway they were flying into Perth 'n' the conning tower there was a lotta cloud over the bloody skies 'n' everything. 'N' the conning tower called up he said Irish Airways Irish Airways he said you can't land yet we'll have to get you to circle round the airport so he says can you give me your height 'n' position please. So the little Irish bloody pilot gets up 'n' he says I'm five foot two 'n' I'm sitting up the bloody front.
I thought that was coming thank you very much  Debbie of Mirabooka good afternoon.
Good afternoon. Um I was listening a few minutes ago and um I heard one of your callers by the name of Paul being rather irate about what's being taught in our schools  and what's normal and not normal.
Yep  what he thinks is normal and not normal yeah.
Yes yes um  I I take offence to what he said um mainly because uh he was y'know saying that he didn't want his children to be led up the path  now um uh I can't understand that comment because y'know ih ih it's not like uh anybody who ih who is gay or lesbian uh or anything like that ih is  thah that that's not a choice that they made. They didn't decide that well I'm gunna toss off going with blokes I'm gunna go with women because y'know um I've decided that that's my option. Um that's rubbish. Uh for some people being gay or or or however you wanna term it is normal and that's okay. Um and that's the thing um we've gotta stop picking on our kids because they don't fit into a square box  they're a round peg.
The the issue mainly is whether or not four to eight year olds should even be exercising their minds about this sorta thing whatta you think.
Uh  I don't think they need it shoved down their throat no. But I also don't.
Yeah I'm I'm I'm questioning the age that's what I'm questioning.
Yeah at that age I don't think they need it shoved down their throat is my comment.
Yeah thanks Debbie we'll have to leave it there 'cos we've got a lotta people wanna have their say 'n' one's Tony of Como  hello Tony.
Yeah how you going mate.
Alright.
Uh I just that Paul bloke he's not a bigot he's probably mainstream Australia mate . Good on him and like that other bloke said he's got the balls to say it. Now if my if my child was to become homosexual or whatever  I would I would deal with it when the time come but I don't want it pushed down his throat at school.
Would you  ostracise them would you kick 'em out.
No I wouldn't no I I'd I'm I'm a I'm a lateral thinker ih there's no worries uh we would deal with it . And he's my child and I love him and and we would deal with it but I don't y he doesn't have to be exposed to this at this age.
Yeah you reckon that's too young.
Oh bloody oath it is.
Thanks Tony  thank thank you Elaine of Kalamunda good afternoon.
Yes I'd just like to say one thing that's about daddies in the family. Daddies are important what male role have kids got to follow  if they don't have a dad in the family they need dads 'n' mums and particularly the boys need a daddy's role how're they going to have a daddy role and know what to do if they don't have a dad in the family.
Do you think young children should be told that it's uh it's acceptable to have two mums instead of a a mum and a dad.
Well unfortunately with remarriage 'n' all that some of the children do do that you end up with two .
But is it something that all the children at school should learn about uh when they're only four to eight years old.
Well only one woman gave birth to that child so they're really only one mother the other mother's adopted or a stepmother um.
Or a lesbian partner.
Or a lesbian partner which I yeah that's not the way it was meant to be . But I'm concerned about kids not hemh boys particularly not having a male role. I was down at a picnic on perh South Perth foreshore back when the weather was a bit clearer and I heard a little one little three year old boy say what's a daddy . And uh that cut me because I thought where is daddy.
Yeah well these days there're a lot of 'em in that category thank you very much for your call we'll take a break time for news headlines John Nichols.
Well you're on Drive with Howard Sattler but I'm not alone Matt Birney the opposition leader in the state parliament has joined me in the studio for his uh regular segment which sort of trips between Thursdays 'n' Fridays or whatever depending on your commitments sir. How you going.
I'm well Howard how're you going.
Good what do you think about uh four to eight year olds in our schools obviously primary schools being talked uh taught about same sex relationships.
Look I've gotta say Howard that I think it is political correctness gone mad quite frankly. And uh I remember saying in fact in my maiden speech to the parliament some years ago uh that the biggest problem facing this state at the moment was political correctness because it has literally gone mad. And when you read stories uh the likes of which I read in the newspaper today and yesterday with respect to the issue that you're talking about you can only shake your head 'n' say that political correctness has gone mad.
This has come from the State School Teachers' Union and its convenor of Bisexual Lesbian Gay Intersex and Transgender Committee.
Yeah look uh very interesting sounding committee I uh I've gotta say um  uh I'm really not sure why the State School Teachers' Union would have a committee of Bisexual Lesbian Gay and Intersex um uh or or a committee of that name I I don't know uh what their role is quite frankly but all I can tell you Howard is that when I went to school ih we were taught about maths 'n' we were taught about English 'n' we were taught about history uh and we were taught about all of those sorts of things. Uh my very firm view is that these issues with respect to homosexual relationships 'n' gay 'n' intersex 'n' transgender relationships uh are best left to parents uh to deal with in the the comfort 'n' the privacy of their own homes. I really don't think these are the sorts of things that we should be preaching to our kids uh at a school level.
Does that apply to also to the year twelve students who're being uh given lessons by the gay 'n' lesbian community uh about uh the sort of things that they encounter in their lives.
Yeah look I think it does quite frankly uh I think uh y'know you go to school uh to to get educated to learn about those things 'n' particularly at that level you're talking physics you're talking chemitry  you're talk uh chemistry you're talking mathematics uh and those are the sorts of things that you should be able to leave school with your mind around. Now I I just cannot see uh why we would be teaching kids at any level in schools about uh intersex relationships 'n' homosexual relationships I mean call me old fashioned if you like  uh but uh as I sit here today I remain to be convinced of the wisdom of doing that but can I say uh Howard you might recall I think about uh two or possibly even three years ago uh Jim McGinty 'n' the Labor party put their gay 'n' lesbian law reform bill through the parliament. Uh I might add I was a very strong supporter of parts of it particularly uh the parts that made it illegal to discriminate against gay and lesbian people in A a public place or B the workplace I I voted in favour of that clause I spoke very strongly in favour of it but one thing that I raised at the time was the issue of education. Because prior to the Labor party putting that bill through the parliament it was illegal and and I'm quoting now from the act of parliament it was illegal to promote or encourage homosexuality in schools. Now Jim McGinty actually removed that clause from the act therefore uh removing it from the law in Western Australia and at the time I stood up in parliament and I said why would you be doing this why would you be removing a law that says it shall be illegal to promote or encourage homosexuality in schools. I said is it your intention to do just that. He basically laughed me out of parliament saying look we don't intend to do that at all it's just that sometimes inadvertently you refer to these things and it's illegal. Uh I said at the time that I didn't believe him and it would appear that I have now been proven to be correct because it would appear that we are doing just that promoting and encouraging homosexuality in schools as a result of the Labor party's legislation that they passed through the parliament three years ago.
Alright Matt Birney's in the studio to take your calls so if you wanna ring him about that issue you can nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two another one I want you to comment on if you please uh the uh attorney general has decided that one Robert Excell uh is going to be kicked out of this country I think he's been in jail for about thirty-seven years he's a serial paedophile and in prison uh it's alleged that he attacked a teenage inmate by the name of Paul I know his name's Paul because he called us on the program yesterday 'n' this is what he had to say about the state government uh going to uh kick Excell out without even a court case over his alleged attack.
Well out of sight out of mind uh our government our state government kicks him out sends him back to Britain where he was born and we don't have to worry any more but maybe some people over there do and Paul says why not hear my evidence uh charge the bloke 'n' I'll go up in court 'n' I'll give the evidence whadda you think uh should happen.
Look uh I'm I've gotta say I'm not aware of all of the details of the um audio that you've just played I have followed it in the media as as you have no doubt uh I understand the police couldn't find uh enough evidence to go on with that particular issue. Uh but look there are a number of other things that need to be considered in the context of this whole debate. Um firstly just as an aside I might say uh I was just reading the life and times of this fellow and uh it says here that in nineteen-seventy-three he raped a nine year old boy th I'm referring to the uh West Australian newspaper . And he got five years jail for that now I've gotta tell you that five years jail for raping a nine year old boy I think is almost a slap in the on the wrist. Uh he he was then released uh on parole and uh some time after nineteen-seventy-seven uh he did the same thing to a child that was eighteen months old and uh and once again only received a relatively small amount of time in prison so uh just as an aside I've gotta say I'm very disturbed about the amount of uh time he was receiving for those uh those particular crimes but uh I think what we can take out of all this Howard is that every time this fellow is released on parole he goes 'n' rapes somebody.
So it'll be a British person this time round probably.
And and look that's the thing that's I've gotta say is very disturbing. I mean why is it that our state's attorney general is prepared to inflict this bloke on the people of Britain but he's not prepared to inflict him upon the people of Western Australia now at some stage we've gotta be reasonable about this 'n' say look if this guy is a threat then he's a threat it doesn't matter what community uh he uh he might potentially threaten. Uh so I I'm just I've gotta say I'm astounded that uh Jim McGinty's uh considering letting this fellow out of jail now I I've heard him talk about the fact that ah well y'know he's he's old now 'n' he's got bad health 'n' he doesn't pose a threat.
Well Paul says he's still a threat that's for sure.
Well let me let me read to you what Jim McGinty said in parliament in two-thousand-and-two uh when he first decided to deny Excell parole. This is Jim McGinty's own words he said the following and I'm quoting. . And and so what McGinty is saying is not withstanding his ill uh ih his ill health and his age he wasn't prepared to let him out in two-thousand-and-two. He's now using that exact same argument to let him out so y'know Jim McGinty can't have it both ways quite frankly. Um  uh I I've gotta say I'm very very disturbed about the possibility of this fellow going back onto the streets uh and particularly in light of the fact that McGinty himself has said and I quote . A moderate risk. Now surely you don't let people out of jail until they don't pose any risk.
Exactly. Alright we'll take a break 'n' then some calls nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two if you wanna talk with Matt Birney he's here to hear from you it's fourteen to four.
Let's get to the phones because a number of people wanna talk with Matt Birney the opposition leader he's here to uh respond to your calls Arnold of Cannington hello.
G'day Mr Howard.
I'm uh juh I'm just Howard 'n' he's  m  you could call him Mr Birney  if you.
Mr Birney.
Yeah.
Yes Arnold how you going.
Thank you uh th thank you for talking to me Mr Birney  uh just just a couple of things 'n' I don't I want anybody to think that I'm discriminative or either or w any of the other but a bit confused about something I know the Labor government made homosexuality in this state at least uh legal. Does that mean they're now trying to make it compulsory . Uh and also uh do do they do does this also apply to the Islamic colleges 'n' the Muslim schools that we have in this state because there seems to be no cowih curriculum correction there and uh they must be laughing at us all the way to the bank. Thank you sir goodbye.
Thanks Arnold look th that is the problem of course with political correctness because uh as soon as you accede to political correctness uh you then open up the floodgates and uh you just don't know where to start and stop and uh that of course is one of the problems with uh with the issue that we're dealing with today where do you start 'n' where do you stop. I mean as far as I'm concerned as I said earlier Arnold that schools are to teach people about maths and English and history and physics and chemistry and all of those things that you need uh in order to secure employment uh in your future life uh and uh I've gotta say that I'm disturbed uh about what I've seen over the last couple of days but thank you for your call.
Thanks Arnold nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two Matt Birney's here to listen uh and lor and comment Lorraine of Woodbridge hello.
Oh hi is that Matt.
Hi Lorraine how you going.
Oh hi Matt luh you're like a breath of fresh air you really are. With your common sense and and just logic y'know. Um I j I just agree with you wholeheartedly with what you said regarding the teaching to children of y'know the two same sex parents 'n' and and the the rest of it it it's just ridiculous um my daughter has pulled her kids out of a state school they're doing it in droves because they're not getting the basics taught the discipline taught and although it's an expensive exercise parents are just getting so exasperated and to throw this at kids as well it's just a joke . And y'know it's I don't know where it's gunna end I really don't but I just wanna say keep up the good work Matt.
Yeah look thanks Lorraine and I guess um that uh I probably break the mould a little bit in terms of uh uh of your traditional party leaders uh I I'm I'm happy to try 'n' tell it how it is uh where I can and uh and to give my views to you uh rightly or wrongly and of course you then have an opportunity to agree or disagree with those views but uh I've been on the record about this for quite some time now but I've gotta say what disturbs me is that um you tend to get a flood of people uh wanting to label you as uh uh.
Homophobic.
Wuh well well homophobic or any of those those uh similar words for daring uh to want to interfere with the way that your children are educated at school because this this debate is not about the gay and lesbian community it is about educating our children in our schools.
The union says 'n' talking about homophobia it's rampant in many schools and the books such as those recommended by the union will only help to foster tolerance and acceptance.
Well y'know I mean I don't know what place the union have even getting involved in this debate I've gotta tell you. Uh I mean as I understand it unions are there uh to help out employees namely teachers to.
Not to tell the schools what the curriculum will be.
Yeah well that's right 'n' and look we've seen in a whole host of different areas unions overstepping the mark. Uh y'know unions in the old days were simply about uh helping to provide a decent working environment for their members namely the teachers. To now have a union come out uh and uh and start promoting this sorta stuff in schools I think is wrong uh and I think is uh certainly uh not what they're there for.
Alright now.
""" Well the wait ended for year twelve students today as they found out through the mail or on the net just how they went. What a  a rugged time it is till you complete the exams 'n' you have the big let down 'n' go off to schoolies week and so forth then you think uh oh  the big day we've gotta wait for it well today it came. It's the start of a new life for most of those young people uh they go on to further education or enter the workforce or some of them just chill out for a while. For a select sc uh few a perfect score but for most of 'em uh are happy with a pretty healthy pass. So what does it all mean let's uh find out now from the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of S A uh Dr Janet Keightley that's a real mouthful Janet isn't it."
Yes we usually refer to it as SSABSA  it's much easier .
SSABSA sounds much easier.
Yes it certainly is.
Well uh your work's done how how  how do you feel now.
Well our very intense work is coming to an end although at the moment the SSABSA staff are now on the um results enquiries line talking to students who want a better understanding of what their result package actually meant so we're still a little bit busy Christmas day will be uh the time when we'll be able to relax.
Um the process has it gone uh as in past years pretty much uh to plan.
Yes this year's process has been a very smooth one um great cooperation between our schooling sectors and the teachers in the schools terrific uh work by the markers who we train and then do all our mark marking and standard setting and of course the SSABSA staff are just magic their commitment to students is just exemplary and they'll put those extra yards in which is what we've had to do and in fact by doing that this year we've actually managed to make it twenty-six days between the last exam and today in the letterboxes.
It still seems like an eternity though jan dan Janet doesn't it .
Well from from a student point of view  it might but from our point of view when we realise that we have in fact l had three-hundred-'n'-fifty-thousand pieces of student work looked at in those twenty-six days and my database managers tell me that we've moved one-point-one-six-million pieces of information around to get these students' results out today  so when you look at those figures you think twenty-six days seems so short.
Uhuh it's a mammoth exercise isn't it  uh do you ever y'know I mean you don't wanna highlight the mistakes and obviously y uh y'know you  in the main everything goes perfectly but uh are there ever you get a perplexed student ringing up saying hey that can't be right because I know I did well 'n' you've given me uh y'know terrible mar marks.
Yes yes I mean the the issue for SSABSA is that we say that we are human and this is a human endeavour and as a result of that there's two kinds of uh benefit there's a benefit and a d a downside I guess the benefit is when you're sick on the day of the exam we know what to do and we have special provisions and special processes  uh ih the dih uh downside of it is that we also make mistakes but at the moment we believe that we have enough checks and balances in those twenty-six days that we hope that we catch nearly every one of those but occasionally one slips through and students are able to ring us and um apply for a clerical check if they want to make sure that we mah managed to count all of their work all that all their questions were marked that we added it up correctly and so the students can apply for that. Um very rarely do we find that we've we've fallen in a hole.
Not too many mistakes  well five students didn't make any mistakes at all twenty out of twenty in five subjects across the state.
Well five students made uh gained an outstanding achievement which was twenty out of twenty I wouldn't say they were didn't make any mistakes  I also wouldn't  nearly they were not  perfect but they have performed in an absolutely outstanding manner and I'm in quite in awe of their performance.
What is uh this new uh recognition of community policy.
Well we know that students now are living very complex lives we know that they are very much involved in the community and uh in a variety of ways either through structured programs that are developed by the community meh organisations and sometimes on a personal basis. We've also talked with students about this and we're really sure that there is very serious learning that's occurring in these kinds of activities whether it be a mem a Queen's Scout or a Duke of Edinburgh Award or whether it be with the Country Fire Service or um tt m music uh some of the music boards um there's a wide range of those formal community programs and so now over the last twelve month SSABSA has in fact given students status in their SACE for some of those programs the students can gain up to eight out of the twenty-two units and um we are very careful about ensuring that it is quite significant year twelve level learning that is occurring in those programs.
It's very commendable trying to to fit that in amongst uh everything else they're doing.
Yes exactly in fact we know that students are uh many of them are in the paid workforce they are very very committed to serving their communities they take up volunteering roles they s coach junior sports teams they have significant family carer roles I mean your previous caller was talking about nutrition I mean there's a number of our students we now know are the sih the sole carer for another person in their household which includes making sure that they get a balanced diet and they have to understand what it means to eat the five food groups  and so we now ask them to gather that information together to demonstrate to us that they've learnt significant amounts and for that we'll give them a SACE unit towards their twenty-two. So and I must say that this is um uh very very cutting edge internationally for um year twelve equivalent assessments and um we are have found through an international study that this is a very successful way of opening up students' life chances 'n' also encouraging them to continue to learn.
Janet uh there seems to be an increasing trend to split year twelve into two years uh what are your feelings about that.
Well it's building on the comments that I've just made about our research into students' lives sometimes I feel tired when I listen to some of them tell  me what they're juggling and they're trying to balance a study and serious work at year twelve they're as I said they're coaching sports or swimming they're um looking after a group of disabled children one day a week uh in their swimming pool or um giving them lessons they're caring family they're looking after elderly parents grandparents or those kinds of things so there's just not enough hours in the day if they were going to do all of those so wuh I find that um being able to accumulate your SACE units over a number of years actually allows them to maintain the standard of a quality SACE and also carry out some of these other responsibilities.
Janet uh Garry from Novar Gardens wants to know how these people got twenty out of twenty for all five subjects if they made mistakes.
Ah well twenty out of twenty means that that's absolutely outstanding achievement it doesn't mean that they're absolutely perfect I have to say. They um to get twenty you have to demonstrate outstanding achievement your raw score might be one-ninety-nine out of two-hundred but that is still regarded as an absolutely outstanding achievement so there's a small range at the top there that would give you twenty out of twenty um.
Has there ever been a perfect score.
Oh we do get students who get two-hundred out of two-hundred for their examination yes  certainly which means that absolutely every question they answer to the standard that we accepted expected. And I said that.
Now that's frightening.
And as I say I'm very much in awe of these students I think they have done a stunning job.
Janet um well done um  you're coming to the end of of uh a a tough year obviously and it looks like it's all going according to plan and uh there are sixteen-thousand students who can be thankful to you for getting the results out uh ahead of time.
Yes thank you very much.
Lovely to speak with you.
Lovely too.
Jan Keightley. From uh SSABSA I won't go right through the title of the name because it'll be uh two o'clock before we even get there but um on the subject of uh students who have done incredibly well. James Krumrey-Quinn scored ninety-eight-point-five he studies at uh Rostrevor or studied at Rostrevor and he joins us on the line now James congratulations.
Thank you very much Graeme thank you very much it was actch if I can correct you there sorry it's ninety-eight-point-nine-five.
Oh that's uh.
But that's doh not to worry there.
Buh uh no well I'd  I'd be quibbling too ninety-eight-point-nine-five.
So just that little bit away from ninety-nine  which is a bit disappointing because  y'know it's the magic number.
Now wuh how would it be like for a a a a dumb student like myself 'n'  a lot of the others y'know you get to this time of year  and y'know you get your results and all you wanna know is if you if you've passed or not now you knew you knew full well that you were gunna pass um w were you expecting to get the results you got.
Tt I guess um it comes uh the the work ethic really is muh is was my indication so basically putting in the time and the effort uh er. The amount of time that I put in uh with that I knew that I was gunna get y'know a a a mark that was um quite desirable and obviously I um putting in uh the uh assignments that we did throughout the year uh were another indication but in addition to that last year I actually did two year twelve subjects as well which is what Janet was.
Oh no you split the year yeah.
Janet was speaking about before. And um uh doing those two subjects gave me a good indication as to what the uh year twelve standard was across the state albeit for last year. And s.
Right so you did four what were the four subjects this year.
This year uh modern history maths or mathematical studies physics and Italian. And last year I did uh studies of religion and uh German.
So what are you hoping to do uh once you complete your studies.
Uh at the end of uh law c a law commerce degree at Adelaide University hopefully crossing my fingers.
I think you'd  be pretty safe.
I'd like to think so  but um I'd like to be perhaps uh work in the diplomatic uh field or perhaps uh uh I'd like to travel overseas or or work overseas 'n' 'n' live overseas perhaps uh in the U N or or in the E U uh those sorts of things because I'm I've got a strong uh social justice uh background.
Ah yes I see you were head of the social justice committee uh prefect of the school.
Th that's it .
Um d d any other activities did you find time for anything else.
Uh I'm I'm actually w at work at the moment so uh I work at uh Booze Brothers the Norwood there and so I did that throughout the year uh in addition to that I was in the senior band at Rostrevor College ah uh ac in fact we toured to uh Darwin this year and a couple of years ago to Queensland  so um y'know amongst the study and also at the beginning of the year I actually went to uh university under the uh Headstart Headstart Scholarship Program and studied German there for the first semester so it's been busy but certainly doing the four subjects was uh doing only four subjects if you can put it that way was uh a a great help.
I was uh talking oh only half an hour or so ago to a a year eleven student who uh who has got the daunting prospect of  uh doing year twelve next year what sort of advice would you give to uh a student uh approaching year twelve.
Basically just approach it the same as you would uh year eleven because in essence it's just a step up from uh what you knew er all the workload to be in uh year eleven year ten uh and it's just it's it's gradually a step up and um ih er in fact um tt the only thing that really changes is I suppose the emphasis on exams and the emphasis on these uh major assignments uh which er in fact can be completed throughout the course of the year. And so basically just doh don't stress 'cos you will find the time 'n' in the end it is only year twelve if I can put it that way . Because it does finish and uh like this morning I just I couldn't believe that finally um mm the time to g opening er my results actually actually came it's just uh an incredible feeling that I I never thought would would happen.
James congratulations uh  well done and we'll look forward to your progress in the future I'm sure we'll hear of you . James Krumrey-Quinn ninety-eight-point-nine-five um scored a perfect twenty out of twenty well done.
Very good afternoon to you hope we find you well on this uh Wednesday  the day that the students of South Australia found out how they went sixteen-thousand uh students in fact uh completed year twelve exams today they found out we spoke to one young gentleman who obviously has his uh future mapped out in front of him. Let's find another one of our very intelligent young members of the community Nick Smith g'day Nick how are you.
G'day Graeme good thanks how about yourself.
Fine twenty outta twenty five subjects you must be feeling pretty happy.
Yeah no very excited yeah it's good uh it's a good feeling.
What subjects did you uh do.
Uh I did maths studies biology chemistry physics and English communications.
Did you do them all this year.
Yeah I did.
Certainly had your work cut out.
Yeah no it was uh it was good fun.
What school uh Nick.
Uh St Peter's College.
St Peter's College so you  highly recommend the school then .
Um definitely yeah some great teachers down there.
What other things did y I mean in a school like that you're usually sort of committed to sport 'n' and other other activities what sort of other range of things did you do.
Yeah um I sort of balanced my year with a bit of sp with uh with some sport um football 'n' cricket. Um and also some music as well um which was good y'know duh y'know d offered me some time away from study um and that helped to relieve some stress so that was good yeah.
The subjects you chose to do are they leading you in a particular direction.
Um hopefully medicine in the future um and I think yeah I'm y'know aiming for Adelaide but I've applied everywhere yeah.
I suppose that's what you have to do these days mind you you should be able  to pick and choose with uh twenty out of twenty.
Yeah no I was yeah I was uh it's very helpful certainly yeah.
What did you find uh the most important factor in completing year twelve to to keep you on track.
Um I suppose having sort of a realistic view uh about how much study I could do 'n' y'know how long my study sessions were 'n' y'know if I ih I only did about six hours at a time at most um so y'know to have a realistic uh y'know a look at the bigger picture sort of uh helped me through it all.
How did you cope with the stress.
Um oh I think I coped y'know alright I had my sport and music 'n' y'know that sort of helped to relieve some stress 'n' that was good. Um and family and friends y'know they're y you I was supported by some great people so yeah ih I I didn't find uh stress was a big problem no.
I think it's uh pretty important to keep balanced I mean uh year  twelve is important and your results are important but  life does go on doesn't it uh did you  have any time for social life.
Yeah no I did um so I yeah sort of fitted that um around my studies as well and that was good y'know that sort of uh helped me to get away as well.
Are you gunna uh get straight into uni or take some time off.
Um I wanna get straight into uni. Yeah I sort of um feel as if I wanna take this y'know the next step right now um so yeah hopefully if I if I get into medicine I can do that.
How about work have you fitted any work in amongst all that.
Um no I haven't been able to get a job actually. Um I'm gunna try 'n' get a job  orderly at a hospital soon yeah.
Um 'n' what form of uh medicine interests you.
Oh y'know I'm not that sure at the moment um I think surgery but uh y'know I'm just gunna make that decision when I come to it.
Well Nick congratulations to you that's a fantastic performance.
Thanks Graeme.
And it's uh obviously been born out of a lot of hard work  and a  and not a an inconsiderable amount of grey matter. Congratulations  to you.
Thanks so much Graeme.
Nick Smith. Twenty out of twenty in five subjects ah dear oh dear some of us can but dream  eight-double-two-three-double-oh-double-oh if you'd like to give us a call and uh someone who's done just that is Grant from Gilles Plains g'day Grant.
G'day Graeme how are you.
Fine thanks.
All the best for you 'n' the sease for the festive season to you 'n' your family 'n' I hope uh two-thousand-'n'-six is a better one for you especially.
Thank you I'm sure it will be.
Further I'd like to wish all the uh year twelve students all the best 'n' hopefully that they got what they wanted in reference to results because um uh we had the um  trauma uh bleak pleasure of it last year with our daughter . And all I can say is anybody that's into year twelve next year in two-thousand-and-six to the parents just let 'em go if they wanna stay ims in their bedrooms lock themselves in the bedroom just supply 'em with food 'n' drinks 'n' so forth  if they're willing to study and do it.
Yeah m actually my two boys have gone through it my my second uh lad completed year twelve last year had a different attitude to it and treated year twelve like any other year and he got through but um it wasn't traumatic but you're right there it's it's really up to them isn't it what by the time they get to that age they're they're b gunna make their own decisions make their own way.
Tt oh yes yes yes. Graene  mone  of the wain  reasons I wanted to rih or the main reason I wanted to ring you today was um unfortunately it's hit the front page of today's paper and on it's also on page five is the Graham Johncock situation in the courts.
Right.
In actual fact if you look there you'll find that the uh Advertiser's running a debate do you consider j Graham Johncock's penalty to be too lenient. Three weeks suspension 'n' a thousand-dollar fine plus the fact two-thousand-one-hundred dollars to the police 'n' the victims. I actually think it's absolutely disgusting that he got three weeks suspension. For the fact that um um these are my views not the views of the radio station Five double A because of the situation with Bob Francis which is going through at the moment  what's the judicial system cuh coming into when you get somebody that's been suspended for three weeks 'n' a thousand-dollar fine.
What uh I I have no idea of what the standard fines are do you have any idea of what the  the average sorta fine is.
Uh I've got no idea what the standard fine is um look don't get me wrong I follow the Crows with the wife 'n' so forth 'n' things like that but when you see a photograph of John Reid uh Geof Motley uh following I think in reference to all this football should stay with the club it should stay behind closed doors in reference to um anything to do with the sport 'n' anything to do with this with um .
to say that John. Anyway uh we'll have to to leave it there Grant um I think uh those comments that uh you've gone a little bit too far as for John Reid 'n' uh Geof Motley supporting him I think that's uh entirely reasonable um just because they're visible people you know who they are but a lots of people appear in court for different offences and they have family 'n' uh maybe business associates in support uh quite logical that um if uh someone's a member of a football team um if they get um called up for whatever reason that they get support from the club I mean it just happens uh that way I I don't think that is at all unreasonable.
""" Been to the city lately tried to find a park maybe you've gone into one of the council's own car parks 'n' footed the fees there or perhaps it is that you've parked out on the street and found that indeed there are new parking restrictions that apply uh and that with the time you require to do your shopping you're probably gunna cop a fine. It is having an impact those in the know believe and we're joined now by Stirling Griff from the Retail Traders Association welcome along Stirling."
Yes good afternoon Nicole.
Nice to talk to you for the first time this year and no doubt uh first of many during the year.
Look I'm sure that's likely to be the case though one thing I do need to mention though Nicole is that the R T A itself hasn't existed in this market for about twelve months. Most of uh the council we're still continuing to meet on a regular basis but uh not officially as the Retail Traders Association.
Okay so you still uh is ih it's under a banner but not under that official banner  essentially.
Absolutely there was a lot of politics going on between New South Wales and Victoria and all of us decided frankly that we didn't want to be associated with it so uh. Anyway we're still involved in uh key issues with the city and also uh retailing generally in South Australia.
Well and it's good to have a voice for those issues because we understand how important they are talking  about issues  is it your belief that parking is one of the reasons that some people decide perhaps not to make as many trips into the city centre as they otherwise might.
Look absolutely and it's it's been that way for  many years and shoppers choose a destination due to its accessibility and the merchandise offering so if it's difficult to find a park or parking costs are high they will definitely shop elsewhere and the last thing any retailer wants is to lose business. Now the interesting thing is that it's not always got to do with the cost of parking a lot of it the majority of it really is accessibility and that's signage 'n' people knowing where the best parks are 'n' so forth.
Well and we've also had significant change as well and and what happens then is that it throws people out if there's a place that they used to park and walk perhaps it might have been a small distance into the city where they're no longer able to park for the same time frame um people decide sometimes it just gets too hard.
Well you are right 'n' and the interesting thing with that is that we're all territorial when it comes to parking  and I'm sure that if you think of of where you park  uh you're bound to go to uh  uh a particular um car park and you always want to get your park on that same level  'n' if you can't get it you get very frustrated so . It's quite uh quite funny how we all work that way.
One of the suggestions uh I noted from comments in the paper today from the chief executive of Harris Scarfe Robert Atkins is that perhaps if the council is going to be reaping such rewards through parking fines they might look to reinvest that uh to reduce the costs of long-term parking which is what then attracts shoppers to the city area is there some  merit in that.
Yeah look there definitely is uh ih ih there was a couple of points that are that are worth making on this the main issue is the lack of short-term free parking uh y'know you go to any major regional shopping centre and there isn't a problem 'n' and many people who receive fines are not long-term parking offenders they are shoppers or or business people who have for one reason or another been held up a little and have been nabbed with a fine. Now at the the very least there should be more leeway with time for these people perhaps an extra ten to fifteen minutes over the expiry time but the big issue and and the important um uh way to move this whole thing forward is that many of us have have felt for many years is for the council to encourage people in the city by making all of their car parks free for the first hour and then increasing the cost progressively in subsequent hours.
Well you've got my vote . Love the sound of that.
Yeah I mean that would make a huge difference to the city and uh it would benefit everybody including the council for revenue I would imagine.
Uh and I uh it is interesting because I think you're right where it's something quick that you want to get in buy get out or something that you need to do it could be simply a paying of a bill whatever it might be y'know putting some money onto a lay-by um  you're you're less inclined to do that where you've gotta pay peak for for zooming in and zooming out.
Yes yes definitely I mean uh and every year the city's retail share of business declines now a big contributor to this is accessibility like parking it's also followed relatively closely by limited food and grocery offerings because people don't come to the city for their weekly shop. They tend to v visit more for general items 'n' the likes but improving parking accessibility is number one on the list followed next by the cost of parking in the city.
So Stirling with a great suggestion like that where are you going to take it I mean what's  the likelihood of of getting uh the various councillors to nod in approval.
Look it's something that uh many of the key retailers around town in fact uh the associations have all lobbied for it's well and truly time for us to get back into this issue again and really it's quite simple just make the first hour free at council cark parks and the second point would be to look at ways to improve accessibility like having signage that updates frequently with locations 'n' the number of parks available like you get in many markets interstate and those two factors alone would uh make a huge difference to uh market share of the city.
Well we'll perhaps try 'n' do our part by uh tackling the lord mayor on that issue and see  where he stands I thank you for your time Stirling.
Good on you. Bye-bye.
Stirling Griff. Eight-double-two-three-double-oh-double-oh I'm late for my news headlines I better go there and then I'll come back with your calls is it parking that causes you to perhaps shop elsewhere do you find it a pain in the butt when you're looking to come into the city simply to do something that you wanna do quickly zoom in zoom out do you find that it's just too hard so you simply don't bother uh and of course there have been some changes to parking in recent times as well that have put in additional restrictions areas like I'm sorta thinking along Frome Road way where you were able to park for a longer period of time so you could park there wander in y'know not pay car parking fees 'n' I know they're not significant in comparison to interstate but some people don't wanna have to pay them and I understand that y'know budgets are tight. Uh they put in restrictions and I find now driving into work that a lotta those spaces are simply left empty it seems great waste to me.
Okay let's get straight back into your calls on eight-double-two-three-double-oh-double-oh Nicole Haack with you through until four o'clock this afternoon indeed each and every weekday afternoon and lovely to have your company with me for my first day back today I hope you'll stay with me right throughout the year 'n' I hope you'll uh phone through as well we certainly encourage those telephone calls good afternoon Paul.
Yeah hi Nicole welcome back.
Thank you kindly.
Um just about uh car park in the city I actually live in the city  um and yet I won't go shopping at Coles the Central Market or Central Market simply because there's no car parking around I will drive to Unley to do my shopping or Kurralta Park.
Is that right so you ih you actually drive away from your home environment.
Yeah exactly um  and the other bad thing about Coles in Central Market is you're not allowed take the uh trolley up to the car park . So y'know you can't do a major week weekly or fortnightly shop because you can't carry it all s even physically up to the car park. Um so I don't go there for that reason but also if I do park there I've gotta pay extra to park there. Um the other thing.
It's still one of the cheapest in town though isn't it. I mean that's it's I must say  it actually draws me there for that reason because I find that it is and I apr I appreciate that whole notion of actually having to carry the lugg the ih y'know  your groceries.
That's just a major thing though I mean uh h how do you physically carry y'know weekly or s or fortnightly shop with you when you go major shopping.
Can you not  go through 'n' use your trolley 'n' go up or up  the uh lift.
No.
Okay.
Yeah which is which is ludicrous. Um well ih unless it's changed in the past few months but I know you couldn't do no 'n' I haven't been na back there because I actually go away from it. The other thing I find really frustrating and friends do as well are a lot of reasons they don't come out they will go to like cinemas or nightclubs in the suburbs is you look around the city and there are so many loading zones and  parking stickers at all times so you get a loading zone y'know for ten minutes at all times and I'm thinking I've yet to see a truck  load or unload at two A M on a Sunday morning . And yet they're not you're not allowed to park there and I do know people who have been pinged with parking infringements at two in the morning on a Sunday  so th they have inspectors out to do that  and you're thinking if you want people to come in at night 'n' try 'n' make the city vibrant 'n' that why not free up these zones make them Monday to Saturday nine to five or whatever. You certainly don't need it on a Sunday morning or y'know at two-o'clock in the morning to stop people parking there.
Yeah uh what you're talking about there is just allowing common sense to prevail  y'know rather than the heavy hand that comes down and says oh what if we leave it like that we'll probably cop y'know I I hate to say it but I suspect what we're talking about here is a revenue stream .
Well exactly I mean it was the front front page of paper today how much money they're making from fines 'n' that 'n' you're wondering how much money they're making from that sort of thing by pinging someone at two A M on a Sunday morning who's parked in a loading zone knowing y'know they're gunna get pinged for it but y'know  thinking well surely that's not now but it is and fifteen minutes at all times y'know . Free things up in the city a bit.
Yeah if you 'cos if you do the sums Adelaide City Council supposedly made an extra million dollars this year in fines uh and they employed eight new parking officers so if you looked at I 'n' I don't know what a parking officer might earn but l let's say I uh I'm pulling  a figure outta my head  but let let's say they earn forty grand a year  or something like that so you've employed eight of those do the sums as to what it's actually driven in terms of revenue.
it's obviously they're egh they're they're expecting to make well above the cost of employing those eight people  which means they're gunna send 'em out at two A M in the morning to ping people who've parked in loading zones that says at all times.
Well uh I tell you what happened for for um me the other day 'n' this is whilst I was on holidays actually we had uh we have a a a common driveway at our place and so it's shared with the neighbours but wuh we had friends parked in the driveway um and they pulled their car out so that a person who was parked in the in the driveway could get out and they parked it in the front residential area for say well look it would've been a matter of two three minutes uh and thankfully we encountered probably one of the nicest parking inspectors I have encountered ever actually who actually knocked on the door and yelled out 'n' said look just letting you know I I actually need to fine this car uh unless you're prepared like you're going to move it 'n' we were like oh it's just been moved out to allow another car to get out. Um common sense prevailed and of course the car was put back in but I mean  you're talking a matter of minutes and this was at about ten o'clock at night Paul.
Yeah I had  that same sorta thing I parked on my driveway which is sorta like a f half the footpath just to unload some shopping so I was inside for like five minutes come out 'n' I've got a parking ticket.
Yes . They're out there.
And yet directly opposite me is um two-hour parking zones and I actually rang the council one day nuh last week because there was a car that'd been parked in wuh same spot in a two-hour zone for over a week and they'd never receive a ticket not a single one . So you think alright y'know I park for five minutes in my own street y'know  in my own house to unload somebody parks all day every day 'n' they don't get a p ticket.
Wasn't your week for buying a  buying a lottery ticket that's for sure .
Certainly not no.
Pleasure talking with you Paul.
Thank you  bye-bye.
Hello Greg.
Hi how are you.
Very well thank you.
That's good I was just ringing up to talk about my ambitions for this year.
Absolutely.
Yeah well the firh first and foremost is I need to get myself a job for thuh a thirty-eight hour job so I can start paying the bills that I'm behind in . And secondly I can I can start saving some money so I can marry my beautiful lady by the end of the year.
Aren't you gorgeous.
Yes 'cos we can't we we can't set a date 'cos we haven't got the money to do it so .
Well I certainly wish wish you all the best in that regard.
Thank you very much.
How long you been looking for a job for Greg.
Well I was I'm I was outta wur I was uh working up until Christmas time but I got  I got a lovely Christmas present  told me my services were no longer needed . So y'know the work wasn't there but that's fine.
Isn't it harsh that it always seems to happen I mean I guess cuh companies reassess as the year winds down but it's just the it's it's the most tragic time to do it to anybody.
Yeah and I've ah y'know since then I've put my name down at job agencies and I mean th they try 'n' help you out they get you a day's work here or there but it just does it's not enough to keep you going or even to save some money  so.
What sort of work you looking for Greg.
Well I've I have a forklift licence so  I can y'know operate any f any kind of forklift um and j just general labourer work if if necessary I could y'know I I'm pretty um open in that s y'know sense where I'll I'll try anything 'n' give it a go.
Yeah you'll put in the hard yards 'n' do the hard physical work if you need to.
Yeah and if I can't do it well so be it I've given it a try  y'know . Theh theh.
Greg and that's all somebody can ask of you someone who's prepared to give it their best shot.
Yeah that's right.
Uh  look wuh with an attitude like that I'm sure it won't be too long before you're back out there and uh and uh giving it a good run. And  hopefully by the end of the year Greg you've you've got the ring on the finger.
Yeah well I hope so.
I do too I wish  I wish you all the best 'n' look if there's anyone listening in uh this afternoon who's looking for someone um who may be able to get out there 'n' and do the labouring work um we'll pass 'em on to you Greg.
Well I hope so is there any way that yeah I could leave a number for you.
Sure can I'll pop you on hold you can leave that with my lovely producer Monique.
Alright thank you.
Good on you. Uh good afternoon Peter.
Good afternoon welcome to the new year.
Thank you kindly and to you.
Uh thank you. Just thought I'd I'd try 'n' pass some positive feedback regarding uh regional operations regional passengers into the new Adelaide airport.
Sure please do.
Um I had reason to be on a a Rex flight uh from Kingscote back in uh a couple of weeks ago on a hot day. And it was uh about thirty-three passengers onboard clearly the majority were from Norway uh Sweden. They were obviously on a on a a large trip . And uh we got back into Adelaide and not all of them were young and it's a fair hike through this maze from the tarmac uh once we got into the airport proper we're faced with this screening process because Kingscote Ceduna Port Lincoln don't have screening facilities . Now alright fine jobs to be done we accept that but the the attitude of uh 'n' this is where the feedback I hope to provide  the attitude of of Chubb Security was was almost c aggressive uh towards uh these overseas visitors and and certainly uh there was a gentleman in front of me who would've been in his sixties carrying uh a set of X-rays and no hand luggage he was clearly into Adelaide for a medical interview and they decided that he should have to take his riding boots off to have them put through the scanner.
That that's actually r really commonplace nowadays I might say because um uh uh oh and I don't know what it is that's in shoes obviously y'know you understand where they're steel-capped but I've got various shoes where when I wear them  um they always go off 'n' and you see every time you go to the airport you see people taking their belts off 'n' their  shoes off  'n' and the like um and and they're not calibrated the same either because one pair of shoes that you'll go through one airport with will go off 'n' they won't in the next . I can't quite figure that out.
The the the point being I I take your point but the point is he he wasn't young he clearly was in pain he was offered no chair  he was set up in front of uh of the rest of us particularly the overseas guests and there was an almost inaudible tangible no don't do this don't make him do this . The man was in pain uh they insisted that this be done. Uh we know that manufacturing is declining in this this country in the next four five years  we have to be smart about what we offer uh the world uh to attract people in uh and tourism clearly could be one of those those ventures for this state and this country and uh we we all pay a surcharge uh for security and we I think pay a surcharge to help fund what the interest payments for this new airport  and uh I I think uh we need to look at the distance that the not so young uh m m communih members of the community look at the distance they have to travel inside the airport as well as this very long walk uh from regional aircraft. Um a a number of these tourist centres are gunna be serviced in future years  uh at the far end of this this new airport 'n' uh if we are contributing a fare surcharge on every t uh every ticket that passes through Adelaide perhaps we can look at uh an extensh extension of that peramrilator that uh the the t travelator or whatever they call it.
Sure and uh alh the alternative option as well is uh and I've seen this in operation in um several of the interstate airports is the little buggies that they  y'know transport people on um if you're you have an injury or you're in some way not in a position to be able to walk a distance um they'll take you from one spot to another on one of those.
And hopefully they will look at that I mean we I don't need to s s uh I don't mean to to to bucket them uh it's a new enterprise uh as you said earlier this afternoon one will've thought they would've looked at best practice around the world. Uh hopefully they have 'n' theh 'n' are 'n' they are succeeding in a number of areas with that. But certainly the long distance for regional uh passengers elderly passengers and and uh I would encourage Chubb Security to uh look at some in-house training 'n'  'n' 'n' maintain the right attitude. A job has to be done ag.
That that's  spot on actually Peter that's where I'd come back to it's about how you approach it isn't it no I  I must say also in line with that um just uh h just yesterday um and it wasn't wasn't Adelaide airport it was another airport but  um there was a uh a lady coming through and and she was confused as to why she was going off 'n' and uh instead of actually explaining that y'know she needed to remove this that 'n' the other it was it was an aggressive approach that was taken to her um it wasn't Chubb Security it was another security firm but um it it's all about I guess y'know maintaining the right demeanour and and keeping that balance between um oh uh I guess just making things easier for people as opposed to y'know understanding that there are going to be some some difficulties that you've gotta encounter due to security reasons but making it as easy as possible and balancing that up with  the security needs. Yeah Peter you enjoy the rest of your afternoon.
Same to you thank you.
Ta ta.
Bye-bye.
We're gunna take a break 'n' come back with more eight-double-two-three-double-oh-double-oh when we come back actually some tips on what to look for investmentwise if you got some spare cash. Most of us don't but if you have got some spare cash what should you look at for two-thousand-and-six.
Got any money and you're looking to invest it's always good at this time of the year to take stock so to speak have a look at where you're at financially have a look at uh how you might prepare for the future. And if you are an investor of course you wanna have a look at what the trends are 'n' what uh sectors might be hot for the year ahead that being two-thousand-and-six of course 'n' we're joined now by the director of Prescott Securities David Middleton welcome along Dave.
Welcome well thank you very much Nicole.
Uh I guess as always the markets change from year to year those things that are hot one year might not be the next and uh part of your job is to keep it uh abreast of all of that what can you share with us at this point in time.
Well probably the it comes as no surprise to anybody that nothing's really cheap at the moment there's no  there's no fantastic bargains in property there aren't any fantastic bargains on the share market it's uh it's it's one of those uh one of those situations where um whilst nothing's like extremely horribly expensive either theh it's pretty hard to find bargains you've gotta be really looking towards buying investments that have got a m a m a reasonable prospect of doing well in the longer-term.
Mm so so that's the key isn't it to n to not be looking for a a y'know a sh a short-term gain that may indeed have some pitfalls with it but to understand that maybe you should be looking what would we suggest five to ten years down the track.
Well we quite like looking at things that way we think it's more m uh five to ten years is a bit more predictable than five to ten minutes really and and uh and things can be moving along in one direction but uh it may not and you might make money in the short-term by sort of just hopping on to the to the nearest tram but sooner or later it can it can uh reverse on you and then you run into problems so thinking about what's m the sorts of of investments that you might like to own that have got a a real future we think is the way to go about it especially when markets're as they are at the moment.
So at this point in time are you able to pinpoint any particular industries.
Well hmm h uh w it's it's more the it's more trends really uh I was listening to the uh chappie that you were talking to before about the airport and he was talking about manufacturing industry declining in Australia well that that really comes as no particular surprise because you've got this enormous competition from the providers of cheap labour in in China and other parts of the developing world. And the fact that a lot of our manufacturing is now being exported offshore is actually quite a good thing because we've got a a sh a shrinking workforce here in South Australia or about to have a shrinking workforce in South Australia and so we actually need to shift from manufacturing of goods 'n' st uh to other to other sorts of things. And so  try to avoid uh investing in companies that are subject to to competition from China and from India and those sorts of ah sorts of places is a good idea and looking for to invest in industries that are that that will benefit from increasing world trade and and moving goods around uh we think they're pretty good.
So transport and logistics is one example perhaps.
Well  yeah we think so and and another is r the f everybody knows that the population of Australia is aging but they immediately think that they need to invest in funeral directors. But the reality is that that uh ten years ago or even fifteen years ago sevent sevent being seventy was old now being seventy is kinda the prime of life. And and so we're we're living longer but also we're we're w with all the advances in technology where we can get replacement parts 'n'  and and pills to help us do everything from um enjoy an active sex life to to various other sorts of functionality means that we've got a a growing market amongst uh amongst retired people there'll be almost twice as many retired people in ten years time as there as there are now so sort of focussing on the on the sorts of things that that that s s uh mature im um consumers invest in um is is pretty sensible.
T certainly makes sense doesn't it we we've got about uh thirty seconds to go but just ih one other area I note of interest is that of child care.
Well there's the d the the rate of population uh or sorry the birth rate increase for the first time 'n' we've got governments uh giving tax atseh uh t incentives to use child care 'n' the need for people to stay in the workforce and all of those things seem to us to make child care an area which is which is a rapidly changing area that is worth watching and perhaps investing in.
Well let's hope that it's a positive year ahead uh we'd like to perhaps catch up with you a little down the track thanks David.
That'd be great Nicole thank you.
Director of Prescott Securities David Middleton.
Ow what a wonderful afternoon it is a gorgeous day here in Adelaide and wonderful to be back with you. Of course Nicole Haack with you through until four o'clock this afternoon still plenty of time for you to get involved today and we wanna have as many of your calls as we possibly can that's our aim for the year ahead to get you involved as much as we can through your emails your faxes and indeed most importantly your phone calls on eight-double-two-three-double-oh-double-oh. I've said it earlier I'll say it again too if you have some suggestions about what you might like us to discuss if it you've s been listening for a period of time 'n' you've been thinking gee I wish they'd talk about this or they've never raised that why not send us through an email and let us know or a fax we'd be happy to take up some of those subject suggestions for you and certainly give you credit in doing so uh we'll try and accomodate as many of those as we can throughout the year this year because we wanna get you directly involved because this is your program you drive it so let me know what it is that you'd like to hear us talking about eight-double-two-three-double-oh-double-oh uh we've raised certainly a number of subjects with you this afternoon and still keen to get your perspective on some of those I wanna know whether you think a national I D card is a good idea or not uh are you one of those people who's somewhat fearful as to how that information may be used somewhere into the future as to how secure it might be concerns that indeed if we've got all of our information stored in the one place could I D fraud be easier. Uh would we in fact facilitate uh those who are looking to steal other's identities as opposed to work against such things as terrorism you may have a perspective on that one I'm I'm reasonably comfortable with it on the basis of saying that I would like more information you can never make up your mind until you know exactly how something such as that is going to work but I wanna in hear what you think eight-double-two-three-double-oh-double-oh also interested as to whether parking is an issue for you coming into the city. Are you concerned that there is too many fines being handed out too many restrictions in place and that the ease of parking or indeed the opposite of that is what causes you to make a decision to stay in the suburbs if that's where you live. Uh and also today I'd like you to share with me what your desires 'n' dreams are for two-thousand-and-six it might've been a resolution that you made but is there something specific in particular that you'd like to achieve this year or like to see happen something special to you that indeed you wouldn't mind sharing with us. Eight-double-two-three-double-oh-double-oh.
Good afternoon Richard.
Hello there uh  there the uh I D card uh where wih  er it's not needed really because uh if uh y  if you could have the uh if everybody  in Australia  or is it especially the new immigrih immigrants  could be uh tt uh natural naturalised uh you know uh  yeah naturalised or uh. Be an Aussie citizen.
Ih it's it's about though being able to identify yourself at a particular point in time.
Yeah well well if everybody could get uh  oh a citizen be a citizen where we it's automatically on your card.
Got it accepting/excepting of  course Richard that we have we have people living in this country who may never become citizens of the country and may never be in a position  to be able to be.
I'll I like to say this uh all these all these um uh terrorist suspects that were arrested  by the police  if they g suh if they cuh uh wanted want all these rights put put to them  well they should uh be a Aussie citizen then all the rights would be accepted . You know that.
I think the thing is Richard and and this is of course we've seen examples of this happen that is that uh people will say whatever it takes and will be of huh oh a certain character or appear to be of a certain character in order to get Australian citizenship um only to find that they are actually working against everything that this country stands for later down the track and and then we get into that whole discussion of whether um the citizenships should be revoked 'n' whether they should be deported um I've expressed an opinion on that previously that's fairly clear and that is dh I I believe so the problem is where do you send them to. Um but I y'know I h I think that there's I guess some r related issues there but I think also regardless of whether you're a citizen or not you might be a citizen um it still doesn't necessarily mean that you're you're effectively able to identify through one card all of your f I guess personal details and that's what the I D card is supposed to do um and that's supposed to deliver I guess greater security some argue that it might do exactly the opposite though. Richard thank you for your call good afternoon Kevin.
Hi Michelle  uh I'm the uh first-time caller but I've got some tips that might help some of your uh listeners. Um I've been retired from air conditioning and refrigeration for many many years but because people can't get fridge mechanics or air conditioning people  they're contacting me.
Is that right.
To come out of retirement  and I said to one person uh that uh said well my frost-free part's not working and I said well go to the down there and tell me is the fan working at the back . And  said no I said well you don't need a refrigeration mechanic you need electrician to replace that fan . That's all that's gotta be done but because that causes your frost-free . While that little fan's blowing that stops the frost from forming on the uh on your freezer.
Well Kevin you've probably just saved that person and uh and many others a substantial amount of money beause if you called out the wrong person they'll still charge you a call out fee only to tell you that it's someone else you need.
Yeah and another one contacted me they've got out their old  mother's um Bonaire and uh they said we're sitting in front of it 'n' they've put the water in and uh sitting in front of it they felt all wet and sticky and I said well um did you try the humidity control  there all that does in there there's clamps off the the uh water so that  it clamps off so the pump doesn't pump the water up over the top and down and then the the uh the blower fan blows across that and that's what gives you your cooling so I said go and tip your if the humidih humidity control's not working tip your water out down in the uh bathroom down in the bath and just use it as a fan . And another one um.
Oh you're  a wealth of information this  afternoon Kevin.
And another one is that people don't clean their filters on their air conditioners um you take the cover off and take the filter out 'n' shake it and uh and you can wash it if you like and then put it back in but if you don't  the air can't circulate through and that becomes a block of ice.
Spot on actually I had that uh very problem in the last house in which I lived the air conditioning system was costing an absolute fortune and never seemed to be able to keep up with things but um h I indeed needed to point the finger at myself because I was responsible for not having cleaned the filter for a for a fair period of time. Fixed that one though Kevin um thank you for fixing other people's problems this afternoon as well.
""" Lawyer Bob on the job merry Christmas."
Merry Christmas Leon.
And if you have now this is your last opportunity before the program breaks up we are going to recess on the twenty-third but Nick Xenophon and Graeme Goodings will be joining us over the next three weeks to keep you company 'n' those issues that have been uh hot ticket items very much on the burner. But if you've got a legal question to which you'd like an answer in plain English pick on the expertise of Lawyer Bob a a very very good lawyer with over twenty-five years experience practising with seven others at Camatta Lempens in King Williams street. Hi Margaret good morning.
Good morning Leon and good morning um Lawyer Bob I've listened to you but this is the first time I've really needed your help.
Okay Margaret let's see if we can help you.
Quick and easy uh  a friend of mine um  um father passed away. Left the house and a small amount of money to that person but there was a um a brother involved who hasn't seen his father for twelve years plus never done anything. He got left a small amount of money now he wants to contest the will. How are we gunna  what's our chances .
Margaret your friend does need to get some uh legal advice  and see a lawyer.
Have have got that  and and the lawyer is willing to go witness because the father didn't want to leave this son  anything  but he did leave him a small amount of money.
Well you see w what what the the lawyer has to do is is to uh have a talk with you and have a look at uh the reason as you say why your father didn't give your brother as muh ih as much or that the brother of the uh of your friend as much money as uh as he has to the uh to the to your friend and they'll look at the conduct of the uh son  uh to see whether there's anything that's he's done over the years whether he's perhaps been given money by the parents before whether he's perhaps uh used the p the parents as a guarantor 'n' gone bankrupt 'n' they had to pay up money or whether he's been violent to them he'll they'll have a close look at his conduct uh and if there's found that there's been some conduct that's uh um disentitling they call it disentitling conduct well then that will affect whether or not he'll have a successful claim or not but look muh uh Margaret it is something where people do need to get legal advice on they do need to see a lawyer uh it's gunna be a matter in the Supreme Court it can be an expensive affair there will be a settlement conference though to try and sort it out before it goes to trial and hopefully they can sort it out there.
Nineteen to twelve Lawyer Bob on Five double A good morning to Bill hi.
Ah good morning Lawyer Bob.
Yes Bill how  can I help you.
I just want to I had an accident in September . Um where my car was written off now it's simply a fact that um I was up to stationary at traffic lights I  move when the green signal went abuh turned gr when the signal's turned green. But someone came through on a red and um and actually my car was a write-off.
Right.
Um now what is the position.
Well ih it depends I suppose whether the other vehicle agrees with your version of what's occurred .
Well uh the the uh female driver admitted um full responsibility to me and  to a police officer.
Alright well Bill are you covered by insurance yourself.
Yeah.
You are look you should probably notify your insurers as well because uh what's gotta happen ih is whilst the other driver will be liable for the collision you may find they c might try to say that your you have some uh percentage of uh of liability in relation to what's occurred um so I would suggest if you're covered by insurance perhaps leave it to your insurers 'cos there's a fair bit of of money involved here. If you haven't got insurance though what you'd do then was you'd go 'n' get your car assessed or or work out what the write-off value of the vehicle is uh and what the salvage value is and then send a uh a letter to the driver of the other vehicle saying they're liable for the uh collision and that uh you want them to pay the amount uh d within twenty-one days.
Okay Lawyer Bob here giving you legal advice on eight-double-two-three-double-oh-double-oh now I've res referred quite a lot of people to you in the last couple of weeks.
You have Leon yep.
Uh just a couple of the cases you've looked at.
Yeah look a a c a couple of matters actually very similar uh where um uh people have uh split up uh they've been married for many years or been living together for many years and decided to uh to part and uh they parted amicably I mean there's no uh great uh arguments going on and they've agreed on on what uh the property settlement's going to be. Now there are difficulties in in not getting legal advice in relation to your property settlement. I advise people that that look you might be uh friends you might have uh separated amicably but you really should get a proper deed drawn up by luh by a lawyer.
Explain why.
Well the reason is this Leon because if you don't do it the your your ex-partner can always come back next year ten years twenty years time and make a claim against the property against your property 'n' you may have accumulated a lot more assets by that time and their argument may be well look when we did that settlement back in uh in two-thousand-and-five you never told me about your superannuation or you uh w yih I didn't get proper legal advice as to what was happening you were overbearing towards me all those sorts of arguments can be used but if you get proper legal advice 'n' have a proper deed done under the family law act uh well that can then be used as a bar  towards a claim in the future by the by the partner because each of the parties that has to go 'n' get some legal advice uh to make sure they understand what the deed is about.
So you even if it was amicable or more than so you wouldn't go to the lawyer together you'd go to separate lawyers.
Yeah you would need to go to separate lawyers look I I know it sounds as though it's a expensive process to go through but the the way the law is structured in this is is the law wants to make sure that you both have independent representation that you both uh are able to to look clearly at what the other side's got and g and be sit alone and g and get that advice from a lawyer independently to say well look your your husband's got a superannuation uh of about five-hundred-thousand dollars you're entitled to X percentage of that uh you've got children so you've you've gotta look after those kids  uh all those things have to be taken to account so you do need to get some independent advice in relation to it.
Okay uh Selena wants to know .
Right uh what criteria well look uh uh a number of criteria. The first thing you've gotta remember is that you've gotta be uh honest with your insurers when you renew your policy or when you first sign up for the policy. If you don't tell your insurers that you've been disqualified previously or that you've been done a few times for speeding uh then it's possible for the insurance company to void the claim later on uh and that does happen from time to time  if you've been convicted of a duh a dishonesty offence you should let your insurance company know because they might decide that they're not gunna insure you any further. So so ih people have to be very careful when they enter into insurances  it's no use paying out six-hundred dollars a year for car insurance if it's only going to be voided because you haven't told the uh your broker or your insurance company the full facts uh of uh of uh what it's about. The other way that a insurance company may uh try to uh to get out of an accident is if you don't co-operate with them in relation to their investigations. You'll find soon after an accident's occurred you'll probably get a phonecall from a private investigator who uh wants to have a chat to you about what's occurred now if you don't co-operate with them  tt uh that th you'll find the terms of your policy say that that that they can then void the policy again so bear bear in mind that you should uh consider co-operating now  there is difficulty with that because if you've committed a serious offence like if you've been uh uh in trouble for let's say uh causing injury by dangerous driving uh well then whatever statements you do give to that investigator can also be used against you perhaps later on if you go to trial so I advise anyone that's charged with a serious uh offence uh with uh driving that causes a accident 'n' there's perhaps people injured they again they should go 'n' see a lawyer to get some uh some urgent advice in relation to it.
Lawyer Bob on eight-double-two-three-double-oh-double-oh now a couple of other cases I want you to mention too that you've taken calls about.
Yeah luh Leon uh uh Michael was uh was leaving a car park uh and he'd juh just finished using his mobile phone still had it in his uh in his hand as he uh uh turned onto the main road and uh hadn't uh done anything with it 'n' the police then uh stopped him and accused him of using his mobile phone whilst driving on the main road and uh and Michael says well look hang on I uh I wasn't using it I still had it in my hand now the inference is by the police officer of course ih is that well if you still in your hand um you're using it and therefore they've issued a fine against him now he wanted to know what he could do now if he's challenging what the police say 'cos he says well look I hadn't wasn't using it anymore by the time I was on that road well then he's gotta decide to elect to be prosecuted don't pay the fine elect to be prosecuted and then you go to court and then you have to tell the magistrate um that uh that uh you weren't using the mobile phone at that time and then it's up to the magistrate then to make a decision but the trouble he's gunna have of course is is to is to explain well why didn't you put the mobile phone down after you'd uh stopped using it.
Yeah see Paul Fren makes the point uh from the police that touching the phone whilst you're driving is the problem. So you're gunna need to have a hands-free now remember with a hands-free you can talk on it but if you dial a number with a hands-free you're still touching the phone. So you could only I I suspect in practice  if you're in traffic or driving and you have a hands-free  you'd only answer the phone and be able to talk legally not to get prosecuted 'cos as soon as you touch the phone you're in that problem aren't you Lawyer Bob.
That that's right that's right  uh Leon it's look it ih it is a uh uh a t a type of matter that that still  not much not many uh cases have revolved round 'em as yet I think most people are paying their fines uh so it's gunna be interesting to see uh whether people will take on the police in relation to these sorts of matters but just bis bear in mind that y'know even just checking your mobile phone to see what the time is  uh  is using  using your mobile phone.
Hi John.
Hi um Leon. Um I just wanted to aks  Lawyer Bob Lawyer Bob um can a bank open your account I've paid off my home loan my mortgage I've aksed  for  um to discharge my mortgage 'n' that to close the account I've paid all the fees 'n' everything that they've aksed  for. Then ten days later they've um the solicitors rang them to discharge my mortgages my house p deeds 'n' that  and ten days later the bank rings me back saying that they've re-opened the account and charged me a seven-hundred-'n'-eighty dollar fee for paying off the loan early.
Alright uh.
Are they allowed to do that.
John ih what you need to do is have a look at the original contract that you've got for your loan  uh there will be a a document around somewhere  and and according to that document it may well say that there were penalties involved uh if you do pay off your loan early. What some people tend to do is they just leave a dollar in the um uh owing on the account 'n' just leave it there but I suppose that becomes difficult then if you ever want to uh uh refinance it with somebody else. But uh look have a close read of the contract uh you'll probably find in there there is some sort of formula for for of of a penalty for paying it off early. If you're still unhappy you can always go to the banking ombudsman uh and uh and uh have a talk to them about it.
And there is a free number a freecall one-eight-hundred number if you want that John look Lawyer Bob can I thank you for coming in today and also for the tremendous amount of work you do off air to help people out you've been an absolute bonzer person and uh everybody wishes you merry Christmas and a happy new year  and we'll have you back in the new year.
Okay look forward to it.
Okay. Lawyer Bob from three-forty-five King Williams Street at Camatta Lempens  eight-four-one-oh-oh-two-double-one. Are you uh you're closed during the public holidays.
Uh yes we are Leon.
Obviously and what about say the three days Wednesday Thursday Friday up to New Year and then  you.
Oh I I think we've got a skeleton staff on but uh .
Skeleton  okay.
Don't know who answers the phone though.
Lawyer Bob on Five double A and coming up shortly we'll talk travel with Max Najar.
It's eleven past twelve remember you can call us on any issue you like on eight-double-two-three-double-oh-double-oh. Uh shortly we'll be talking to Barry Urquhart from Marketing Focus about this thirty-six-hour constant shop till you drop. I'm just interested as to how many people actually do this. Amanda was saying this morning that there are quite a few people who do and if you're one of those people that shopped at two A M now of course uh I suppose if you go and buy petrol at two o'clock in the morning and you go into a servo in a sense you're shopping till you drop you're not just buying petrol you might buy a few other things but when you've got shops open that do almost all sorts of sales at three four and five in the morning are there people that uh will just love to shop because they work unusual hours. Let's ask Barry Urquhart Barry merry Christmas.
And thank you very kindly to you and all your listeners Leon.
Does this actually work as a ploy.
Well I suppose you've gotta ask the question why are they doing it and I've come to conclude there's two reasons why you would extend the trading to twenty-four hours and that is one to increase sales and two to provide sur service and convenience to your customers. Let me address those two issues. In the intermediate to long-term and the sustainable sales it will not uh uh it will not be effective it will be a very gradual sort of situation that will be isolated but more importantly and this is the ins interesting thing that's come out of some recent research that we did uh in Brisbane and in Sydney  what people are wanting if they are wanting convenience is not necessarily to have access to the stores twenty-four hours of the day what would be far better is and here are the three things they would want most of all more staff members in other words not waiting at checkouts more cash desks or registers available. What they would like to do is to interact with better-trained better product knowledge base uh part-time and casual staff because that's what they're looking for rather than extended trading hours and above all else they want staff of stores not to be using the p car parks in the shopping centres what they would much rather them do is to park out of the complexes so that the consumers can go in there and get premium car parking bays that's what people want rather than twenty-four hours trading.
Barry uh given that you found this out via er uh customer questions why aren't they doing this.
Well they think that theh uh y'know it's an interesting proposition a lotta people talk about being customer-focussed and uh Sol Trujillo from Telstra recently sent out a little note to his shareholders and he made a very profound statement 'n' I thought my God someone's at last listening I have advocated at seminars and conferences that you don't need to be customer-focussed you need to be customer-driven. Let the customers make the decisions for you now you don't pass value judgements on that 'n' I think that's part of the problem. People are doing things that they've always done they need to sit back and talk to 'em. See convenience must be tied to relevance and it's an interesting proposition but people're saying hold on if I want convenience I can go onto the internet. I've just received some stuff from the British Shops and Stores Association the chief executive's name is John Dean and he said that actually uh the retail sales through the internet are increasing and I'll quote if I may a hundred-and-thirty times faster than traditional High street sales and yet they still only represent three-point-five per cent of total sales so if people wanted convenience and they have access twenty-four hours of the day on the internet they'll go onto the internet they don't want it twenty-four hours of the day they want to interact with people what's lacking and you and I have spoken about this many times before Leon what's lacking in customer service in Australia today is one word personal it means more staff.
Okay let me ask you this uh we've seen a situation uh and this is uh on to the business of labelling where uh Southern Eggs tell us today that Coles buy uh virtually uh uh the the the lion's share of their product but it's labelled packaged in Melbourne for Coles. Now that doesn't tell the consumer where it's from don't the supermarkets understand that people wanna know where their food is coming from.
Absolutely and it's an interesting point.
Well why aren't they doing it.
Well I uh see  well  uh where are the decisions being made for Coles uh at the moment it's being made in Melbourne therefore they promote Melbourne I'm sorry to say that but it's kind of a a Melbourne-centric organisation that is centralised what we need to be is to decentralise you only have to read newspapers we got some gruv uh vegetables recently in Western Australia which were impregnated with E coli now my goodness gracious me consumers are saying hold on I don't want that merchandise.
Was that from China was it.
Uh that was from  uh Asia that's  correct now what they're saying is hold on this is about life this is about quality of life this is about peace of mind and of course the one thing that the buying agent and that's typically the woman of the household wants to do she wants to be able to sit back and say Good on you Mum Tip Top's the One and that implies that she's made the right decision women want to make the right decision she wants to buy locally and it's peace of mind purchasing what gives greatest peace of mind is when you buy locally and you know the people who are producing it because it's all about making the right decision.
So uh uh again uh if if customers vote with their feet and demand that there is proper labelling will they eventually get it I mean mind you the federal laws are going to change but they've gotta be policed by the state and as you well know compliance is not something with which state governments deal easily.
Look duh Leon if you sit back and wait for legislation and regulation you follow the herd. What this is a very clarion clear call from Foodland the independent retailers and the small specialist retailers and the farmers' markets and food markets right throughout Adelaide and uh even up to Hahndorf and into the regional areas of Murray Bridge and the like of South Australia to take the metal between their teeth 'n' say hold on this is an opportunity let's exploit the opportunity of being parochial let's really go out there and be serious about being local this isn't about packaged in Melbourne or packaged in Sydney that's not the issue let's start to have it as a marketing tool we'll become famous for it we'll do it in ow our advertising we'll put it at point of purchase and we'll uh see now there's the point 'n' I think it's very key if you put it in your advertising and you put it on your shopfront then that in an aisle by itself will attract people into the store. Once you've got them into the store it's easy the packaging will convert them and reassure them but what I'm simply saying is the packaging should be the third of three or four stages to really utilising that attribute of localism to be your marketing tool and your point of difference.
Barry thanks for joining us that's uh Barry Urquhart from Marketing Focus on thirteen-ninety-five Adelaide's Five double A. Are you one of those people that goes shopping at one or two in the morning are you going to partake in this shop till you drop campaign which is happening just before Christmas. Eight-double-two-three-double-oh-double-oh at thirteen-ninety-five Adelaide's Five double A.
Hi Ron.
G'day Leon uh I work in retail for one of the big two chains and uh believe me it's the worst week of the year to work in retail but uh I wanna make an observation and then a comment. I remember you interviewing Roger Corbett three four years ago  and he pontificated about the creation I think f of five-thousand jobs uh if and when we sort of extended our hours do you remember that interview.
Yes I do.
Yeah okay. Now the success of the trading hours now that we have at the moment forget Christmas aside that  uh that we're open till nine o'clock Monday to Friday um now I work in a uh one where there's only the supermarket 'n' a few specialty shops  there's no accompanying sort of K-mart or Target or Myer where you can get a bit of   extra  I'll guarantee Leon between Monday to Friday there is no-one in the store after six o'clock seven o'clock  and as a result  of uh the store I work for or the company I work for where they're just cutting back cutting back cutting back on labour all it takes is it'll be about eight o'clock at night all it takes is a couple of people with two full trolleys and then another dozen or so people coming in with just bits 'n' pieces y'know where they've and you've only got two checkouts going  'n' and you've got a couple of big  full trolleys  and then you get the you can see the the the customers' expression on their faces going oh y'know now grrr y'know sort of uh getting  uh annoyed with it  but we don't put 'em on y'know wuh we'll put 'em on on Friday uh or  extra staff will be put on on Friday specially in say the deli section and the meat  department 'cos the that's the and on Saturday in particular but believe me these extended trading hours Leon I have not seen  people still do the major shop on the Saturday and even the Sunday's not really that big.
Ah Sunday I I've found even before Christmas Sunday  trading has seems to be quite popular  from from what I mean I've uh I've rarely been if you go to for example the shopping centres  and uh you do it on a Sunday  generally speaking there's a lotta people there . Lot of people.
Yeah you you get 'em you get 'em at the start of the when it opens at eleven and in the last hour  but throughout the week Leon there's no-one there between six and nine o'clock  trust me and they only just shove on two checkout operators and as I said all it takes is  a couple of people a couple of bih  and you're gunna have people waiting.
The the the the the shopping hours regulations as I understand them  don't mean though that you have to open it says that you can if you want to . So if  if the big  supermarkets are not getting the customers why not shut.
Oh but you but you'll see that uh  uh when you're part of a big organisation that they're all open till nine there's none of thih the only thing is uh our shopping centre because it's small  uh our I'll say I'll say who I work for it's Coles  we won't be going for the fifty-two hours uh in a row  business 'n' we'll be we'll be just shutting at uh  at nine o'clock at night  'cos it's not we're not part of a a  y'know a weh a Westfield yes.
W why don't the why don't the bigger supermarkets the ones with the big market shares go hell for leather in making sure that they label properly local foods so that people know what they're buying. W why don't they do that.
I I mean I'm not in management uh Leon I'm just uh like um y'know a  a retail assistant yeah uh.
Okay but but you you'd get some of the feedback from the public on that wouldn't you.
Oh I gotta say Leon I ih it's more uh I don't g I don't get a lot of those sort of queries they'll say d'you know where this is made and I'll I'll have a look over the package for 'em 'n' if I 'n' if I don't 'cos I don't work in the fruit and veg  but I'm talking about like your packaged goods  I'll I'll have a look for 'em . But generally I I gotta say that's not really I very rarely had uh queries about uh origin but I I've had more where people come in  and because you're a major supermarket they expect you to stock  or they assume that you stock absolutely everything that's ever been invented or created and people come in with some obscure  uh food additives 'n' and you sort of say to them oh 'n' I'm I'm pretty knowledgeable of what we got in store and I'm saying  look I'm sorry I'm pretty certain we haven't got that that's a that's more a uh  a a .
And and what about  what about the trend towards the bigger supermarkets for increasing uh in a large percentage their own home brand where they exclude a lot of the other popular brands that people used to buy.
Oh yeah you you you definitely you definitely see that and um a lot of the stuff is just the brand name but in plain packaging  um and ih ih the the dead giveaway is where the packaging is very very similar and the colour scheme of the label  is very very similar you're  basically buying the sa th the same product uh whether Kellogg's or Sanitarium or  or whatever it might be  I mean some some of it is uh clearly offshore  and it's g deliberately the label is very very similar uh to sort of n not to con not to confuse but just sort of uh.
Of course not .
To to gr no to grab your attention. But uh yeah um yeah as I said yeah there's hardly anyone in after six  uh you get I I perhaps department stores uh it may be uh worthwhile I figure most people will get their fresh food shopping done by Saturday morning.
So tell me uh are  the sooh are the supermarkets gunna be part of this shop till you drop thirty-six-hour thing surely not.
Uh noh not ours no  not ours but you'll find uh I.
I j I just can't see well I mean you can go you can already go into uh a a servo at some ungodly hour and some of them  have got quite a good range of stuff you pay a bit more for it but you're paying  more for the extra  for the extra  ability for the place to be open.
Wuh well put it this way Leon I know that the Target near ours occasionally  they have these midnight sales where it's dark  and my wife has gone just for the but she finds that a lot of people that are there it's more a social thing let's go out let's see what's happening  there seems to be a lot of people milling around  but no-one's actually really buying anything  . Y'know yeah it's almost like  it's almost like in the old days before people had television.
We'll make it look  like we're shopping when we're not .
They they'd look through a shop window  and watch the ih it's almost like yeah it's pah they get the kids in the pyjamas it's all a bit of a laugh let's have a look around but no-one actually buys anything .
Yeah Ron thank you for calling in on thirteen-ninety-five Adelaide's Five double A remember you can.
""" Thank you Len and a very good morning to a ravishingly lovely and relaxed Sue McDougall."
Very relaxed oh  so relaxed yes.
I am so envious of you I really rea no I'm not envious of you that's wrong envy's a sin  isn't it one of the  seven deadly ones.
No you're allowed to say that we say jealous in a nice way  jealous in a nice way yes.
Because you've  been over to Rotto.
Spent the week at Rottnest and it was just the best week I mean uh as much as we need the rain  it was we did not have any rain when it was raining in Perth we could see the clouds over Perth and Rottnest is the best spot we had shorts 'n' T-shirt on  Harvey really seriously shorts 'n' T-shirt  this week. Didn't um pack the jumper until tuh no didn't put the jumper on until last night and it was just the most beautiful week it was  still it's just gorgeous they're doing lots of refurbishing at Rottnest so it's quiet like we had the uh Island to ourselves  the lodge is closed  they're putting a new roof on the lodge 'n' the dome is being refurbished so there's lots of things happening over there lots of money being spent over there but it's just happening at the moment of course it's the time to do it when it's quiet so it's just fantastic just the best spot to have a holiday in winter.
D'you wanna go back next week.
I'd love to go  back next week okay  I'd love I'd be there I'd be there tomorrow  yeah definitely it is just just wonderful.
Sounds uh what the doctor ordered.
Rode around the island. Um that's there's some big hills.
Sore botty have we.
Yes . Actually my legs didn't ache so I was lucky about that but um I think it's twuh over twenty kays around the island but it's the hills the hills are pretty steep. And saw lots of whales. There's whales are out there so on the um lookout to the water out to the on the souh southern side of the west end there's lots of whales making their way up the coast.
Isn't it lovely  um I didn't s I went to Albany the week before as you know  to my daughter's place and and son-in-law's huh had a very nice time there I must say and uh they've got a s very nice house do you know Albany at all.
Yep.
Course you do 'cos you come from down there der.
Well no I don't come from  down there but spent time down that way yeah.
Um they got a nice house on Mt Clarence.
Yes.
Overlooking uh the the beach and  and they can see we invested in a pair of binoculars  for them they weren't getting my nik  they were not getting my Nikon twelve-fifties under  any circumstance  but I did get 'em a little pair of uh  eight eight-forties or eight-twenty-fives  I mean still good and we watched 'n' watched 'n' watched we just didn't quite see any whales there but they they they have been coming  in there.
Yep  yeah I know it's just wonderful I think binoculars is a good investment . I need a pair too just to have with in the camera bag  'cos often you see something you think wonder what that is so yeah just wonderful.
It is years since I've been to Rottnest I'm ashamed to say because it is  it's beautiful but and years further on when I actually  did venture onto a bike my recollection of the Rotto bikes were that they were a sort of.
Pretty bad.
Well pretty sort of  uh heavy-duty . What are they like now.
They were pretty bah some are really good  depends you can pay for um basic ones or you can get some um really good ones there's some great ones there but we usually take all our bikes because we've got our bikes  with the bike seat 'n' the trailer we've got a trailer for the kids get a get puffed they go on the trailer 'n' so  going up hills with a kid on the back is pretty hard good for your legs Harvey  my legs have really  gotta keep at it now it was just wonderful and my um little niece went 'n' she learnt to ride her bike there 'n' that was hilarious that was source of many laughs  because she um did some funny things like started  peddling uphill went dow around went nyaoo  went right back down the hill again 'cos she couldn't stop 'n' oh .
Oh dear. Ooh dear dear dear.
That was funny that was funny we had lots of laughs lots of giggles 'n' just ate lots as you do um when you're on holidays 'n' just enjoyed it caught lots of fish too.
That's ih uh did you.
Mm.
W when you said you eat lots what is it about holidays ih when I go away o on a holiday  my s stomach forgets it was fed an hour ago   why.
It does  it's true .
And you think god I'm hungry.
I know and you think oh  hang on a minute you just keep eating and eating  don't you.
Is it because that when you're working you kind of uh you're buzzing  along and food goes into the back of your mind  'n' if if 'n' when you stop  all you think about's your stomach.
Yep  I think so.
Mm. We've got some Solvol packs to give away today some Solvol citrus soap packs worth forty-five dollars uh ad hoc to be given away six packs to be awarded today and uh that's great so uh nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two's the telephone number. If you've got a photo that you'd like to send us uh feel free to do so of your m garden or a plant or whatever uh gardening at six P R dot com dot A U. We might open up the batting I think with Alexandra of North Perth. Hello  Alexandra.
Hi Alexandra.
Hello good morning to you. I like your probrem program and not just the program but the station I'm addicted to.
You've just about  I reckon you've just about won yourself a Solvol citrus soap pack  without opening your .
Without even trying . Well done  . How can we help your olive tree.
Oh well I'm I've got a olive tree which is home grown from a a pip. It's okay growing and now have a fruit but when the olives start ripening get uh black from the tip up. Then start rotting from the tip up and have fall they off.
Weh it's rots does it.
Yeah.
Has is it happen every year or is it just this year.
Well uh I notice last year um before a it just l it had little bit and I  didn't notice much but last year's had plenty and this year the same. And it .
Do they split Alexandra do they split and then start rotting.
Uh some of them split afterwards they   but really without splitting they start rotting they rot.
They start rotting anyway. When they start splitting they can they get um odemia . And when they start rotting they split and then so then the um rot sets in from the bottom and away it goes it just goes downhill from there . I would that's just aside from the ones that start rotting anyway what's the fruit like. Uh is it is it edible fruit.
Oh they are beautiful to eat them when they  not affected you know.
Sure what I would do then Alexandra when the olives are just starting to um size up when I say get to the right size I'd be spraying them with Mancozeb Plus fungicide unfortunately  you have to spray the tree  there's nothing we can do about that.
Still green or when they black.
Yeah while they're still green before they go black  because if they stay on for long enough while they're still green we're going to have to do that to stop it spreading. And you may need to apply it twice you may need to do it when they're just starting to form the right size  and then as theh just before they start to colour so you'd be looking at probably end of March and the mih ih no probably earlier than that middle of March 'n' the end of March . Time to spray with Mancozeb Plus.
Mancozeb Plus.
Yep see how you go with that.
Alright okay thanks very much Alexandra and we weren't kidding you've won yourself a Solvol citrus soap pack so would you like to hang on the line  and we'll put you back to grumpy.
Thanks very much  I never won anything in my life.
Uh  well well done you have now.
Well you've won something now isn't that good.
Thank you.
'N' that  might lead to you winning Lotto tonight even Alexandra.
Ah I don't doubt that.
Well  I'll go you halves how about that.
Thanks.
Okay there we go alright uh we'll take a break it is thirteen minutes past eight.
Yes I feel like a leak at the moment. Do you mind  me saying that yeah . So I thought what we would do is find out a little bit about 'em . C Christine joins us Christine Simpson from Fresh Finesse hello Christine.
That one's a little bit hard to top I have to say   Harvey good morning Harvey 'n' Sue.
Hi Christine  . Well there is .
What's the difference between an onion and a leek girls.
What.
I said I like leeks because I've have a lot of trouble when I'm cutting up onions they make me cry whereas leeks uh still have a lovely mild onion flavour but uh no tears.
Now  listen can sorry can  I just butt in there for a moment.
Certainly .
I've got a solution for you Christine.
Ih what's that Harvey.
You need to go down and see our good mate Patrick at W A hospital supplies and ask him for a Zyliss chop chop.
Ah yes yes.
They are brilliant  I use mine all the time.
Mine is virtually on the kitchen bench every day  because there's something to chop up whether it's garlic or oh Georgia's garlic by the way again  digressing ah put that in something the other day can't remember what um it yeah so y you you'll get no tears.
Uh uh I think I might've had one of those at one stage is it um uh is it electric or.
No no no.
No  no you hand one.
Yeah.
I the problem with me Harvey is that I only have to look at an onion  and they make me cry .
Oh no guarantee.
I don't even get to peel it .
What you do is it's it's it's sort of like a it's about ahr I suppose uh eight nine inches  high  and it's got a pump action and the thing is that you punch down these cutters and so what you do you put the whole thing over the onion w you don't put oh over a whole onion probably I'd cut mine up into about four pieces.
'Cos it gets stuck I've done that.
'Cos it gets stuck yeah 'n' I've done that many time  so you cut it into about four and just  get the uh dooverlackie on it 'n' go  it makes a helluva the duh uh c Harry the cat he fair dinkum nearly hits the roof 'cos he's sorta sleeping most of the time  and when he's not being naughty and so I think this is really good I'm gunna enjoy this now bang bang bang bang bang bang bang and and he jumps hits the roof the onion gets cut 'n' everyone gets on with their lives .
And you a smile on your face.
Oh I have to say  it's probably a a better idea than trying to cut onions by hand.
Yeah well go 'n' see Patrick he'll  he'll do a good deal for you.
We were talking about leeks the flavour of leeks is so much milder that it doesn't you can you can eat them um they don't overpower dishes do they.
I think I think that's the advantih another advantage Sue actually and I particularly like to to slow cook them with or caramelise them with a little bit of you can use brown sugar or honey and either some olive oil or batter just in a lovely y'know get one of those nice Le Creuset pots from Patrick I suggest  just the thing for caramelised onh.
Patrick give us the price we'll all have one.
What's that Harvey.
I say we'll geh Patrick'll probably give us a call 'n' give us a price we can all buy one.
Yes well we could we could go buh go halves thirds ah .
'T's a good idea.
And uh I like to once they're all lovely and soft and caramelised and and still uh with that mild onion aroma and then and while they're still warm add some olives and some roasted or semi-dried tomatoes and some thyme-flavoured vin vinaigrette so use fresh thyme it's so lovely at this  this   time of year.
Mhm.
Time for thyme.
And.
I kept saying to my sister I need some thyme and she's going  huh  she thought I meant normal time.
Need  some of that too Sue.
Yeah.
And.
I've had that conversation recently  yeah please continue.
And if you want to turn that into a l a lovely warm potato salad just fold it  through some nice Delaware potatoes are really good at the moment um and just steam still with their skins on nice and chunky and that makes a lovely salad to serve with roasts and grills 'cos it's really it's really winter salad time I think at the moment. Now lemon trees are .
Ah there's so many er lemons around.
Except mine of course Sue  but I'll have to talk to you another time about that uh dripping with lemons. And so it's lovely to start the day with a glass of freshly squeezed lemon juice and I like to make preserved lemons for I'm going through a bit of a m Middle Eastern North African d cooking phase at the moment.
Oh I haven't had that yet.
Well I keep seeing recipes I've got a recipe for this and I keep saying I must make those.
I get to  Moroccan lamb and that's about as far as I've got .
Takes five minutes to do the preserved lemon.
Does it.
Yes.
What do you do.
Ah that's one for me.
So and  so two or three or however many you think you're going to need just wash 'n' dry them evenly shaped ones are a good thing and I've the easiest way I think is to cut off both ends  stand it up uh so it's up 'n' down on the bench and just cut it half way through not oh sorry h about three quarters of the way down not all the way through just in half and then turn it to ninety degrees and turn it over and cut it the other way so it's still whole but you've broken it into almost into quarters . Pack the inside of each of all wherever you can with just ordinary cooking salt pack it into a jar and you can do one lemon or you can do ten or however many and then fill the jar with freshly squeezed lemon juice  . And if you leave that for about three weeks you're on the way to Moroccan lamb or chicken or whatever you like Harvey  and it'll keep um for months in the fridge.
'T's a good idea.
Tt oh that's fantastic . Now I've also read Christine you can't use um well you need thin-skin lemons or it doesn't matter. Does it matter if you use  Ruic  lemons. Yeah.
We call them Meyer lemons by the way.
Yeah Meyer lemons.
Oh yes  I do too that's what my tree is  um   I do know that much .
No no no the surprise is that I do .
Actually that's.
I'm very impressed Harvey.
That's interesting speaking of thick skins Harvey because  I read during the week that the the thick-skinned len lemons are best for preserving because  you only use the skin you the you'd actually discard the pulp and the salty liquid and you wash all that off the skin and then just use that  the preserved skin.
That's why I've been hesitant of of doing them because it says thin skins is best on my recipe book so I'm gunna change that  I'm gunna head down 'n'  'n' do it tomorrow yeah  can use I sure can.
Which I think are the ones that are plentiful at the moment   and uh preserved lemons are just gorgeous with couscous uh  salads through summer  and also vegie or lamb or chicken tagines any of that  um.
Wonderful stuff.
And even great with pasta.
Yeah.
Now you've got all this info on your website too haven't you W W W dot fresh F F R E S H F dot com dot A U.
Dot com dot A U we certainly will from early in the week Harvey .
Good oh that's fantastic then uh.
Now you've put me on a spot.
No that's alright I mean duh it's good to have a bit of a shoofty through your  site anyway 'cos there's lots of good stuff on it.
It is yes we try to keep up to date and our recipes are seasonal and our product information too so you can get a pretty good idea of what to cook with what's in season.
Marvellous alright Christine great to talk to you this morning we'll do it again next week.
Thanks Harvey.
You've inspired us all again.
Thanks Christine.
Christine Simpson from Fresh Finesse it's uh twenty-four minutes past eight  I think we're gunna talk to Anne of Mt Hawthorn in a second  I think we might have a little special treat coming our way at eight-thirty.
Do you.
Yes I'm not gunna tell you what it is yet  see if you can remember. We were promised something last week and it might happen. Anne of Mt Hawthorn hello Anne.
Yes  good morning Harvey uh good morning Sue. Sue I've got a couple of questions the first one is we have got a ponytail and my husband wants to like cut trim it right back and do an X so we'll see if we can get four shoots.
Your husband can do that that's no problem at all.
Can we do that now.
Yeah  can you wait a month.
Yeah.
Yeah if you wait a month it's just in the warm weather that's all  it's just the warmer the better now it doesn't really matter you can do four an X at the top of the stem and they will shoot away but not guaranteed where it's going to shoot.
Okay.
It might not shoot exactly where it's been cut. It might shoot a v little bit below  so could be two shoots on one side four on one side it just  depends but wherever there's a dormant bud sorry a leaf there's a dormant bud a leaf scar that's underneath so go for it Anne you'll find a beautiful big bushy plant rather than a.
Yeah it is looking a bit  bit lean and mean.
Yeah they do they do tend to get like that so I always think just chop them off they'll be much better.
Okay great and the next question Sue I've got um a beautiful navel orange tree which we had heaps of fruit on . Um we had a couple of oranges that had like um some soft spots on.
Well you need to get onto that that's bah a bacterial rot that the oranges get  and and.
A couple of them went bad  like on the tree.
Yeah and they go on the tree I would spray it with Mancozeb Plus now  as a fung just to kih clean up and kill any spores if some of them go on the tree 'n' hang on the tree just cut them off 'n' discard those . Any that have fallen on the ground 'n' have gone rotten you need to pick those up as well.
Yeah well we've finished the whole fruit's finished now.
Beautiful are there any hanging on the tree like  munnif mummified okay just give them give it a it's not going to hurt to give it a cover spray now.
Yeah can we.
With Mancozeb Plus  if you need to give it a trim back do all that  then as soon as the fruit sets for next year 'n' it's just starting to colour is the time we need to spray at.
Yeah to give it a trim back Sue what do we do just cut the deadwood off or give it  a good trim or.
Cut any deadwood off you lyh ooh cut that out completely  and then the branches if they're outta control reduce those you can reduce it up to a third if you want to Anne  need to get onto it now before the new growth comes the new growth is what the is the fruit bearing wood  for next year.
What's the best fertiliser to use.
Uh use a complete citrus fertiliser that is um you can get one that's organic-based and you apply that every four to six weeks through the growing season 'n' the growing season for citrus trees is from August to May.
Okay good on you thanks very much indeed Anne it's twenty-seven past eight.
And your tree's grown okay it's interesting we've just had an email from Kevin uh  'n' you've had a look at the ph the photo.
Mhm I had a look at the photos Kevin 'n' we can fix that. So good to see the photo uh at the same time because there's a saucer underneath that tr that uh pot it needs to um be removed from the saucer and looking at the the size of the pot 'n' size of mandarin tree I'd actually zip out 'n' get a bigger pot for it put it into fresh tub 'n' terracotta potting mix lift it up off the ground so it's not sitting in a saucer of water continually and you'll find your mandarin tree will just bolt away citrus fertiliser  do those things 'n' it will just take off the you can see um in the pot the soil has sunk away from the um top of the pot we need some more soil in there so a bigger pot your mandarin tree looks beautiful and healthy it just hasn't grown so we need some more room in it for the root system.
So we could've asked Len those questions  'n' he would've said my experience is probably woulda said the same as you did.
He wuh ih would've done because he's now expert on mandarin trees and lemon trees by the sounds of it.
By the sound of it  I'm gunna be an expert on eating one of those mandarins very soon.
Me too.
Mm okay  well uh.
I don't know how I'll do it when I answer questions so you have one first .
Alright Maureen of Watermans Bay hello Maureen.
Hi Maureen.
Hello.
I think she walked  away .
When I'm calling you.
Oh no I had it on speaker sorry.
That's okay.
Um yeah I just wanted to check um just a couple of things um the slaters in the lawn. Um I was just weeding the other day and they're everywhere in the lawn. Um apart from using those little pellet things 'n' I'm a bit worried about my grandson.
Sure.
Um wuh what could we use.
Do you leave the lawn clippings on the lawn when you is there a lotta thatch on the lawn.
No well I get a  we get a mow an um yeah we get a lawnmower  contractor to do it but  he takes it away.
Is it couch lawn Maureen.
Um it's um uh  um suh uh something S what's it um.
Saltine.
Yeah  saltine.
And how old is your lawn.
Oh about four four and a half years old.
Few things you can do there's not a lot of h  a slater's job is to break down dead 'n' decaying matter so if there's a lot of old thatch there the slater finds a beautiful home and the slater will f slaters think that's just wonderful spot to be so  if there's a food source there the slaters are there . There's not a lotta things that you can do to the only thing you can do is put a few pellets in saucers around when your grandson sorta come just overnight let the slaters like they're feeding stations for them let the slaters um be attracted to them to reduce the population and pick them up in the morning. I hate doing that hate having pellets around the other thing that you can do at the beginning of September is vertimow your lawn now the moh lawn's gunna look awful for a few weeks but it will shoot away beautifully and it will also reduce all that thatch and it will reduce the home for the slaters there'll be no food source there so they'll disappear.
Suh so if I l if I left the slaters is it damaging the lawn at all or.
Not really  only if they bih in plague proportions  their job is to break down dead and decaying matter it's only they get tender new seedlings when you've planted beautiful new seedlings in in the garden but a f a lawn can cope with slaters.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um juh just a couple cuh other cuh goh have I got time for a couple of other quick ones.
Certainly.
Um the other one was the clover we've got that purple clover which is going mad ih it's only a lih we've only got a small little lawn because we're near the coast um sort of where I'm talking the front lawn seems to be alright 'cos it's a different lawn completely . But we've got this purply kind of clover through .
With the yellow flower that's that's a type of oxalis and it is awful it's just awful to get rid of.
Well yeah it seems to be and it was  lih little bit last year 'n' it seems to be twice as bad this year.
Yeah and it'll be four times as worse next year. Maureen you need to use a broadleaf weed killer on it to knock it around a selective broadleaf weed killer for that's suitable for lawns for couch lawns  or pull it out by hand there's no other choice.
Oh okay well I  sort of did that last year  a little bit but I mean this year  it's going to be a  even though it's a small juh I mean it's a small lawn area I could probably do it but  it's still a job and a half.
Yeah that's right  yeah so it's up to you if you wanted to spray it to reduce to knock it on the head and stop those seed heads um setting fertile seeds for next year  because if you get the seeds once they've flowered and then they've got the little seed head they just ping and they just spread everywhere. And that purple-leaf oxalis is the is really hard to get rid of.
Mm  it's even hard to pull up.
Uh terrible  terrible so yeah I don't f  I do do  feel sorry for you yep.
Oh that's good . Um just one other quick one I know you're you're busy um we've actually got two big lemon trees now we're right um not lemon olive trees  we're right on the coast and they're massive like the trunks are sort of uh we're only been here four and a half years and the trunks are sort of like the size of a plate.
Really.
Um but they got so big we need to prune them back  but we normally like to do it after winter because  they get knocked around a bit  in the wind . Um is that okay in spring.
Yeah no problem at all  spring is fine . Yeah you can  you can you can pollard them what we call pollard them so they get chopped back really hard what you'll find happens in um the olive grown reeh growing regions is uh after the immediately after the last lot of fruit is gone they get chopped back really hard. The problem that happens with um being next to the coast that new growth gets ih damaged. What you'll find if you trim them back after the beginning of um sorry at the beginning of spring that's when the flowers 'n' the fruit come so if you don't mind losing some flowers 'n' fruit cut them back really hard but if you do mind losing some flowers 'n' fruit you're just going to have to prune them back  a little bit this year s and the rest next year so you're reducing the plant for this year letting new growth come you'll get half the amount of fruit and do the same thing for next year but to pollard them you can chop them back at ground level and they'll still shoot away beautifully.
Pardon me  excuse me that's um not a direct result thanks eev uh thanks by the way uh Maureen um that's not a direct result of eating a mandarin that is beautiful what I've just had  beautiful sweet yeah.
Ah can't wait  to have one I love mandarins.
Be careful 'cos the juice'll go everywhere that's how nice they are . Okay Yvonne of Leeming g'day Yvonne.
Hi how you going.
Good.
Fantastic.
Uhuh so I have a question about my azaleas um we've got thirty-odd bushes around the house flowering beautifully but a lot of the bushes the leaves are starting to go yellow and dropping off. Um I read somewhere where um it could be a lack of something in the soil 'n'  throwing blood 'n' bone around might  help it. Is that possibly what it is.
Is it the older leaves Yvonne.
Sorry.
Older leaves doing it.
Um yes they are probably.
Yeah. If it's the older leaves doing going yellow with no green veins usually it says there's a lack of nitrogen so throwing blood 'n' bone around's going to help so so you need to add some nitrogen some nutrients 'n' they'll pick that up 'n' green up straight away. Few other things that can happen if your soil is very alkaline your nutrients are tied up in the soil and aren't available to the plant so they're locked away chemically . And when they're locked away then the um nutrients then then not available if the P H is very alkaline ush but usually shows up green veins on the azalea leaves so that's iron deficiency a little bit of green veining um on the older leaves the other thing that can happen is just check the underneath the leaves to see if there's no silvering no blacking blackening so you got black spots on the leaves and also a rusty colour so that it looks like the leaves have been damaged . Grab grab a piece of paper flick the leaves onto a blank piece of paper  and see if you can shee  any thrip  insects they also cause silvering 'n' yellowing on the top of the leaves as well.
Okay and can we get the soil tested or do you buy a soil test .
Certainly you can get the soil tested gotta zip down to your local garden centre 'n' they'll more than happy to test it for you  but not for nutrients only for P H so s.
Alright and if we throw the blood 'n' bone around  or if can we do that now or  do we have to wait.
It's not going to hurt anything  at all  you'll find that the um blood 'n' bone the only thing that happens with blood 'n' bone is that it's going to give you leaf growth so you know how you get the flowers of the azaleas that are beautiful on the top all you see is um azalea flowers and no leaves  you'll find that ih they encourage flowering sorry feeding them at flowering time is going to push the new growth past those flowers . So up to you whether you even wait a few weeks once the flowers are finished.
Thank you very much indeed Yvonne it's eighteen minutes to nine and uh actually uh are you still there Yvonne. Yvonne's gone muh. That was Yvonne wasn't it.
Yep.
Yeah  okay. Okay um Angelo of Spearwood g'day Angelo.
Yeah how you going guys.
Fantastic.
Good.
I'm just calling in regards we've got a lemon tree and it's y'know it's a bit it's a pretty good lemon tree but it makes lemons where they're .
Like there's no juice in 'em.
They're dry are they.
Yeah  they're pretty dry.
Are they thick skin.
They are very  thick skin . Um we do get like a little bit of like a spotty around 'em.
Yep.
Um but other than that they're just you open 'em up 'n' they're y'know they're all very thick skin you can cut a little  bit of juice in the middle.
What do you feed them with Angelo.
Ah we just put a bit of chicken manure 'n'  just water.
Yeah okay. Those ones that are really monsters are they close to the inside of the tree the lemons and they've been hanging around  sort of for a long time.
No they're all over the place  it's all throughout the tree  we have we have cut the tree back y'know a couple of years ago  or maybe even more twelve  about twelve months ago  but um yeah just ih it just does these and ih they're not some of them aren't round some of them are look like they got uh uh y'know one on one on top of the other  y'know what I mean.
Yeah now few things that you've got there. How much water does your lemon tree get.
We give heaps.
Yeah.
Dad's y'know my dad just pours it with water because he y'know uh uh.
He wants big lemons  he wants juicy lemons yes.
He wants juicy ones.
Sure  now ch  chook whih what's what's the use of having lemon tree when there's no lemon no juice. Chook manure is going to give you really thick skin because it's high nitrogen we're going t  he's going to have to feed it uh with a complete citrus fertiliser so that's the most important thing. If you've got chook manure it goes straight to the skin forgets about the pulp. You'll find if you give it a complete fertiliser with potassium and phosphorus and iron and copper and zinc and molybdemul  all those nutrients that the plant needs they're going to be taken up in little bits. But if it's just nitrogen you get beautiful big green leaves and really thick skin. Eureka lemon is a little bit prone to it. If it's the older lemons that have been hanging on the tree they've gone through summer 'n' they've been hanging on the tree as well they do tend to stay dry 'n' that's the reason I asked if it's the ones right inside the tree sometimes that happens as well. The other problem you've got is bud mite if you've got one lemon on top of another so they're all joined together in really funny shapes that's a bud mite that little mite gets in and causes damage of the cells and the skin and it all ends up really ah it's the most amazing shapes come out of it but it does demun damage the plant so tt uh when it's flowering this year when it's got that beautiful new spring flowering on it which'd be October November we need to the next lot of flowering we need to then spray it with you can either use pest oil which is which will h help the mites or you need to use a miticide like Maverick and that's going to clear that up. Start a program from August to May so from this week on giving a little bit of complete citrus fertiliser you can give it the chicken manure at the same time Angelo but just give it the complete citrus fertiliser as well and you sure that will make a huge difference.
Alright Angelo.
Okay beautiful thank you very much.
Pleasure Angelo keep the water up to it.
No worries can I just ask one little question.
Certainly.
Okay I've got a mandarin tree  which used to fruit fantastically . Last two years I haven't seen one mandarin .
It's not rootstock that's taken over is it.
No no it's just decided to go on strike but it looks  good.
It looks good does it. Does that  get lots of nitrogen too does it get lots of  chook manure.
Yes it does .
Okay cut the chook manure back to that and give it some citrus fertiliser as well 'cos we need to get the flowers and if it looks good that's the not a good thing usually the crappiest-looking mandarin trees give the best fruit.
Well I tell you what this thing looks like a good plant y'know but  it's just not given us any mandarins.
Yeah we need the flowers we need something that's going to encourage the flowers but check to make sure that there's no shoots nothing that's shot below the graft too Angelo.
Okay  no problems . Thank you very much  .
No Angelo Angelo Angelo I'm gunna put you back to grumpy 'cos you've won yourself a forty-five dollar Solvol citrus soap pack.
Thank you.
Our  pleasure Angelo enjoy it.
Good on you Angelo  it's thirteen to nine.
Eleven minutes to nine and was I right about Len's mandarins.
They are superb Len  they are the best Emperor mandarins I've ever tasted.
Really.
Yep. I I would they're the juiciest  the sweetest usually they tend to be a bit uh bland I think tastes  I really like the  Imperial mandarins but they they are superb Len you are a star thank you.
What a genius  okay let's go to Ron of Bentley g'day Ron.
Hey good morning Harvey good morning Sue. I've got a a ponytail 'n' I had t had to transplant it from a broken earthenware pot 'cos it got too big  into a half a wine barrel . But I put the potting mix on the bottom then I put a f a full bag of uh cow sheep 'n' um chook manure in the bottom y'know  on top of that. Then I put another bag of potting mix 'n' I put  the ponytail 'n' me wife said ah you're gunna kill it.
Yeah you'll probably cause it to rot Ron.
Ah.
Um ideally it woulda been best to have just straight potting mix in there.
Oh okay.
What you'll find is the cow sh isn't it terrible when when someone else is right in the family
Yeah .
Um .
Yeah she said take it out so I gotta take it out 'n' take it out don't I.
I would yeah  uh the reason the reason is is um tt ponytails are succulents they do cope with very harsh conditions anyway they're a type of succulent so they they they need very free draining soil. In  the ground you'd be able to put a little bit of sheep manure or soil improver in the ground 'n' that wouldn't hur wouldn't hurt at all but in a wine barrel even though the wood absorbs moisture tt 'n' it drains freely in a wine barrel it's best to have just straight potting mix in there  so it drains you find that you'll you'll kill it with kindness more so than anything.
So when she comes home I have to tell her she was right.
Yeah well well you  maybe just don't even tell her. Just do it.
Yeah I I'll go  'n' do it now.
Yeah .
Okay .
You'll get reminded though that you weren't right and she was  it'll happen even no matter how you try to.
Marh I'm impressed because Ron admitted it so  yeah I know these things happen but  that's okay 'cos I think I think we should ease your pain Ron we'll give you a um Solvol citrus pack valued at forty-five dollars 'n' that's got Solvol citrus pump pack citrus bar 'n' hand towel cyclone hand cultivator and hand trowel.
Ah thank you.
Mm.
I'll put you back to grumpy 'n' he can organise it for you Ronnie.
Thank you.
Thanks mate  okay we'll go to Claire now of Wembley Downs.
Hi Claire.
Oh hello. I was just wondering um Sue if you remember the product you were talking about that was very good for putting down the drain.
I do I do. The best thing to use is copper sulfate there's a lot of brands around  of different things but if you just get cuppus copper sulfate. Copper sulfate will half a cuppa copper sulfate down your sink or flush it in the toilet  whatever once a month copper sulfate just burns the roots the fine feeder roots there so  it will stop stop any um roots tt getting into into um into your drains it works as a really good preventative.
And that's good  for putting uh for uh the mould off brick paving  as well.
It is but in light-colour brick paving if you use copper sulfate straight it will it'll turn a tinge blue so you do need to mix it with water 'n' scrub it. The other thing copper sulfate's really good for if you've got a gravel pathway tt uh any any spots of gravel 'n' you've got pots on the ground 'n' you don't want them to root into um send their roots through the pots onto the paving or also onto the onto the gravel if you've got some gravel around if you spray that with copper sulfate  that will stop that happening as well  regularly it works really well just be careful with copper sulfate on tt soft leaf plants if you've got native violet or baby's tears of anything like that around it will burn it . It will cause a problem.
Alright 'n' can I ask you just one other qu question.
Certainly.
Sorry it's just that we have um four um of oh what d'ya call the uh mm oh heavens now I can't remember what they're called they're the pines the pencil pines  and they're we've just got a group of four separating  our house to next door's and there's just the second one along has decided to die 'n'  halfway down  it has died and I think it might get into the others  I'm wondering what we should do about it.
Uh  when did it die when did you start  to notice it.
Just our neighbours just said about a few weeks ago 'n' she said have you noticed our pine and I hadn't and I looked up  'n' I've just noticed now that it's getting further  and further down  for the last two months.
Ah Claire pines conifers take a long while to die so that could've been damage that's happened a long time ago so it's not probably anything that you've done recently . But if it's died say halfway down 'n' it dies have a look at the trunk make sure there's no borers in there tt  have a look right at the base there's no blackening of the stem no oozing of gum or sap to make sure it's not Ceridium fungus or conifer canker they are susceptible to canker  and there's really no known cure for conifer canker it's to stop the plant stressing you need to keep the water up to them keep the um insects off them keep them well fed and so they don't stress because usually Ceridium fungus comes about becuh as a secondary infection from insect borer or or bark weevil or something like that so we need to  we need to make sure there's no insects on it the other thing you can do is spray it with anti-rot there's a product out called um Yates Anti Rot which is or Phosject which is now the active constituent of those two is phosphoric acid now it's not registered for it but it it works as a preventative you can either spray it to a point of runoff or inject the tree. See how you go with that but make sure but the indicators of um Ceridium fungus is blackening of the stem die back of tops of certain branches and gum oozing sap oozing from the trunk.
Thank you very much Claire and I think before the break and uh thus the news we'll go to Len of Gosnells hello Len.
Good  morning Sue and Harvey  how are you.
Fantastic.
Um I have a uh and I say I 'cos it was a uh a Christmas gift uh from my wife an old English mulberry tree.
Oh you lucky thing.
Now it's three years old it's actually  four years old but it's only been in the ground three years . And uh it I trimmed it back two years ago 'n' obviously it hasn't fruited so  I wanna trim it so it g with the hope that it grows 'n' grows 'n' grows 'cos it's it is doing well but this year we'd like mulberries on it.
Don't trim it back till after yih it's fruited then.
Okay.
That's the key. Otherwise you'll you'll loose it old English mulberry tree tends to not tends to not um grow you don't have to prune it back really hard um they don't grow really long canes the Hicks fancy does grows really long canes 'n' grows outta control but the black English mulberry's very slow-growing. So you'll find the the depending  black English mulberry will fruit in January just after Christmas is when they fruit  prune it then then its new growth comes on and they always hide under the leaves of course as you know  so if you prune it after it's finished fruiting you will not chop the mulberries off and away you go.
Okay 'cos it's  I mean it's just a mess of branches ih higgledy-piggledy everywhere.
Yeah they're a lovely tree  they are lovely tree yeah my favourite.
Okay good on you Len thank you very much indeed for your query about the uh mulberry tree uh we're just about through the first hour so what we'll do is take a break have another mandarin I think  would be in order  another mandarin each and uh then uh Lennie's got the news coming up he of the mandarin tree  and after the news second hour of our Saturday Garden Party nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two is the number to call.
Thank you Len and thank you for the mandarins they are absolutely magnificent.
They are.
No doubt about that .
They are there's not many left .
Grumpy's got some I'm I should give a cuh I will I'll give a couple to George because he was  good enough to bring that garlic in.
Exactly right  we'll swap him. We gave him a prezzie last week wasn't it.
Did we.
Yeah the little purple  the purple Neopet  I'm sure he was  impressed with that not .
No that's fuh that's actually.
Oh he didn't take it home damn .
That's turned up somewhere I don't know where it is.
Oh did it someone else got it as a  present .
I thought it was still in here somewhere . It was here.
I actually just appeared from here so I actually don't even know whose it was.
I don't think George is into purple Neopets.
Oh don't you think so.
Strangely enough yeah.
Strange that. True.
We'll talk to George about his show coming up after ten o'clock Saturday Morning at the Football a bit later on in the meantime nine-double-two-double-one-eight-eighty-two is our telephone number or if you've got ah um an email to send us then  please do look we should oh dear. Oh goodness gracious me I've got some photos to show you we'll get to Glenys of Balga in a moment. Good morning Sue says Kevin um  now wait on have I done that.
Done the mandarin one  fr that was from Kevin.
Yeah suh I know there's an unhappy  puh oh yeah the unhappy plant one.
The unhappy happy plant.
Oh dear. Here we go     . Ruthless    you've seen those haven't you.
Yep seen those and yes you can cut your hibiscus back but it's best to cut the hibiscus back at the beginning of September as it warms up it uh will be better and the unhappy happy plant that strip you've got just cut it into sections that looks like quite a large bit that's been chopped off so cut it into sections about eighteen inches forty centimetres long and cut into the bottom bark with the sharp blade of your secateurs paint it with hormone gel and put it into a good quality potting mix if put in good quality potting mix put five or six branches in one pot strip all the bottom leaves off the top branch will need to have the leaves chopped in half so trip  all those awful leaves need to be chopped away put it somewhere where it's nice and warm if your new pergola is in a position where it's gets the morning sun that is fantastic for those cuttings they'll shoot away  ideally not the best time to grow cuttings for happy plants because it needs warm weather but sometimes these things happen you just make the most of the situation you're in.
Indeed you do. Okey dokey now 'tis time to say good morning to our good friend Glenys of Balga hi Glen.
Hi Glenyn .
Good morning you happy people . And um I wanna talk to you Sue about Swan River daisies.
What would you like to know.
Well I'm are you have you moved away from the microphone Sue 'cos it doesn't sound as loud.
No.
Okay. Um  I'm growing some in a seed tray  and I know it's a bit early  but I've got them in a mini greenhouse  now it says to move them when they're three or four centimetres high . Now do you think I should move them into pots or do you think it might be alright to put them out in the garden or is it still too early to do that.
I would go  the situation they're going in Glenys is it a really warm is it protected position no bugs as far as slaters or or snails or anything.
Huh slaters you must be joking.
Well then put 'em in pots until they're a bit bigger then.
Ah 'cos they'll  love to eat them.
Because they're nice 'n' soft if you've got zillions of slaters they'll just get into them straight away. They tend they they're not supposed to but they will because they're beautiful and soft so  how tall are they now.
Oh um well they've just broken through so they're like  one centimetre or something.
They'll be probably three weeks time transplant them  into separate pot even just little separate tubes or hundred mil what we call hundred mil pots so  sorta ten centimetre pots and then by the end of September away out they go.
Okay.
Even probably before then 'cos they're gunna grow r so quick.
Are they.
Yeah.
Oh great  'cos I I saw them en masse up at Kings Park at the  Wildflower. Oh they look fabulous.
They do.
'N' I've  been dying to have them ever since.
Yeah good on you . Well done.
Okay thank you very much.
Thanks so much lovely  to talk to you Glenys bye-bye.
Thank you Glenys now to Thornlie  good morning Judy.
Hi good morning.
Hi Judy.
Hello. Um look I'm just ringing up to ask you I've got a um can um um  campilian  rose.
Chameleon.
Is it it's the little one that comes  out 'n' changes colour.
It's a gorgeous rose.
Yes that's correct  um I've had it in a pot for about four years  and I want to transplant it they I've heard they go better in a terracotta pot.
They do do better in terracotta is it in a plastic pot now Judy.
Um  no it's in a glazed pot.
Yep  the.
So how do I go about .
The reason that they do better in terracotta terracotta breathes . Okay now that's really the only reason up off the ground it drains freely but if you don't want to have it in terracotta pot if it's in a glazed pot 'n' doing beautifully that is fine  as long as it's up off the ground 'n' it's draining freely.
I see yes  it's doing that I just thought it'd been in there for two year  uh four years so I thought I'd um.
Change it ba have you pruned it yet.
No no it's just come out in flower.
Again that'd be right.
Uh yes  and um I'm just waiting for it to die off 'n' then I'll cut it back 'n' change  it over . Um so how do I go about I've got this .
Uh what you need is quality tub 'n' terracotta potting mix . Tip it upside down get as much of the root system as possible you'll find that you can just pull some of the root system off  a little bit into the pot transplant into pot lots of tub 'n' terracotta potting mix around wash it in so it all packs down. The plant will not look back Judy the th the most important thing is s is to lift it up off the ground  so so that it drains freely don't put any rocks no bits of bark no charcoal nothing in the bottom of  the pot potting mixes are now designed to drain freely so.
I see so  terracotta I don't have to get the rose uh potting mix.
Tub 'n' terracotta potting mix will be beautiful  tub 'n' terracotta potting mix the best thing about it's got water storing granules 'n' wetting agent  added to it.
And what el what was it called.
Terracotta.
Uh tub 'n' ceh terrapotta uh terracotta potting mix and  puh then do I 'n' when do I prune it before I put it in or afterward.
Yeah prune it before you put it in I know there's probably some flowers on it but you need to prune it within the next few weeks there's probably flowers on it now but if you prune it in the next few weeks it will give you beautiful spring growth.
You are gunna be very busy Judy so  guess what you've won a  you've won yourself a forty-five dollar Solvol citrus soap pack how about that.
Oh very good thank you . And could I just ask do I have to paint the pot.
No uh well up to you you can  paint the poh.
Uh T V last night where  they're painting the inside of the pot.
Yeah they do with a sealer  now there's a product out that Yates put out called Pot-Seal  and the reason we do that is to stop the evaporation stop the mois the plants drying out so quickly  the pots drying out so quickly  so if you've got your rose in a full sun position that'll make a big difference.
Alright Judy.
Oh yes I'll go to Bunnings and buy that  okay and um I just wanted to .
Judy we're gunna change our mind about giving you a prize if you don't get off.
Okay  .
Harvey you nasty basty .
Just keep going Judy you're on a roll.
it's okay.
Thank you very much.
No d'you wanna ask something else I was only  kidding yeah.
I just planted some avenue lavender last October  how long does that take to flower.
That should flower this ss three weeks time about four  weeks time avenue lavender is a gorgeous hedging lavender.
Oh great okay then  well it's a great show and thank you very much.
Thanks Judy you're very welcome.
You hang on the line Jude okay.
yes.
Duh don't go away.
No fine thank you .
Righto let's go to Mandurah hello Sue.
Hi um.
Hi Sue.
Hi um I've got a ixoras I've got um about seven of 'em in pots  but they've started dying from the top but not all of 'em.
Only some of them.
Yeah.
In pots.
Yeah.
Are there are some branches dying from the top on eah or one plant in one pot's dying from the top and the one next to it is fine.
Um about three of 'em have died. Um one started dying from the top  'n' it had three branches so I cut the branch off that was dying . Now one of the other branches has started dying from the top.
Oh not good news how long have they been in the same soil.
Um we moved house probably about five months ago . So.
Are they in terracotta plastic.
No just the plastic ones.
Have they got a saucer underneath.
No. Some of them have been sitting on soil.
Yeah. It may be just a drainage problem the water's not draining in away. Usually when a plant dies from the top there's a few reasons but but the main reasons are if it's dying from the top is either not enough water or too much water.
Probably  too much.
Yep I would say if they've been sitting on soil in a plastic pot with all the rain wuh okay July's been very dry but all the rain we've had extra water if you tip that plant upside down I'd say it's probably soggy at the bottom. Those fine feeder roots at the bottom just the water can't drain away lift them up off the ground you I would ruh be re-potting them Sue.
Right okay um should I cut the dying bit off as well.
Definitely definitely  yep put it in in a nice warm sunny position  but protected and the ixoras should shoot away soon as it warms up they should shoot away. The other thing that um affects ixoras uh is the cold weather but living in Mandurah I would not suspect it it's the cold weather if it's if you were living in the hills in or northern sort of east I'd be saying uh it could easily be the cold but in Mandurah it's um so much warmer.
Yeah oh well I'll put it in my mini uh glasshouse type thing.
Yep good idea.
Okay now um I'm after some clivia seeds for the yellow one do you know where you can buy them.
Have a look in grab Your Garden magazine or Burke's Backyard magazine have a look in the classified ads at the back  they uh sometimes have mail order clivia seeds.
So you can't get 'em in West Australia.
Not that I know of not seeds that I know of but I'm sure they are around but just not that I know of  so just if you got mail order from over east just give them a ring on Monday I mean if you get the magazine you'll be able to find them or someone will know someone who will be able to supply them for you  . But often um Digger's Garden Club  um advertise in there give them a ring to start with otherwise the classifieds in the back of the magazine should be able to help you Sue . A query lucky bamboo.
Yeah I've got it like groups of three . And just one of 'em's dying.
Mm is it above the stem a little bit. Is it.
Well it's going all the way down the  stem but the shoot is staying green.
Yeah. You'll find that they get a Pythium fungus which is like a stem rot on them once  wuh at certain times I've had a couple of branches of one of mine do the same thing. It's just something that they are prone to because those those stems are very soft. The shoot on top is still fine but all the cells collapse along that stem they rot 'n' then they're just hollow there's nothing 'n' then a black mould goes around them actually  after um there's nothing you can do to reeh to get that one to recover. Pull it out um change the water and refresh refresh it up nice fresh water and then um just break the top shoot off and then put that back in some water . That's the only thing you can do once it's damaged like that  I think it's with mine it came about I changed the position I had it to a a position that was too cold. Needs to be in quite a warm light position and they do much better Sue.
Good on you Sue thanks for your call it's sixteen past nine.
Twenty minutes past nine Kim Hagdorn's arrived George Grljusich has arrived. We'd better give 'em a couple of mandarins keep 'em going  before their show Saturday Morning at the Footy coming up along with Ken Judge after ten o'clock. We get some very interesting letters don't we  we've got an absolute beauty this week.
I love this one Harvey I had a  big laugh to myself can I read it out . Yeah okay.  .  .
Double-dutch.
Yeah that's right    . So this one's neat it's got some good hints if I could read Dutch it's ih actually a good book . So do you think we should give it away.
I can't even.
I can't even tell what  what's meant to be silent  'n' not silent.
Tuintip T T U I N  T I P what's  that mean.
I think it must mean garden tip  because look at the front of the book  'n' it's tuint yeah there  is and  tuin tuintip  tuin agenda planner and  logboeh ih boek it's called . So that's funny  so we need to find someone who c .
That'd be funny wouldn't it getting it home stick your glasses on 'n' go uhuh . What've I done.
You need what go 'n' get new glasses . How do you n even know it's Dutch.
Duh this is fruit well that's I can read that  that's that's the Dutch word for fruit uh   appels. I bet I know what that is.  . All the Dutch people will be out there ss tearing their hair out.
Cringing .
Well if anyone  speaks Dutch w d'you wanna d oh what're we  we gunna do with the book there's not much use for us.
Who would like a gardening book well we'll give it to 'em  what do you think . 'Cos I know nobody  who speaks Dutch so there we go  but she's also looking for one that will help her . Garden Gurus  um the have written a couple of books Eva they may be able to help you go to any of the bookshops or garden centres they should be able to you should be able to find their books they're written for Western Australia find their books 'n' they will be able to help you with what you can plant now and for the rest of the year.
Well there you go if you speak Dutch you've gone  and won yourself a book . Genevieve of Dianella's next.
They need to speak it on on um so we can prove it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh yeah . Becauh they gotta talk to us in Dutch  do you speak Dutch Genevieve.
No I don't but if.
Genevieve is a French name.
If it was in French yes but Dutch no  out of my league>.
No we haven't  got a French  gardening book.
Through the holidays no we haven't but I've been ringih uh reading Almost French by Sarah Turnbull.
Oh have you.
And it's fantastic book have you read it. It   oh it's  wonderful it's about this Australian girl who sta who lives in Paris 'n' wuh how she goes  yeah anyway tt.
Okay  what can we do for you Genevieve.
Yeah.
I can't believe my luck that I've actually managed to get through .
Yeah it's not easy is it.
Uh Sue um  when is it uh alright to uh prune a huge lemon tree when is it alright to give it a bit of a haircut.
Give it a haircut any time of the year  Genevieve. You.
No specific time.
No specific time  aside that you will lose some of the fruit  but usually what happens with lemon trees is that you prune all the upright branches off and  leave the side ones 'n' so  they are fruiting anyway so once they are fruiting then then you just nip the tips of those out they branch  out so  you'll find  that the um citrus are  usually the rule of thumb for citrus is immediately after the um lot o last lot of fruit has been picked off so  lots of lemons around at this time of the year once that lot of fruit's gone  that's when you give it a trim. But if  you need to trim it back.
My lemon tree I think it's Eureka which  uh I I've got y'know lemons uh.
Seems to have  lemons all year round that's right . But they do have a main fruiting time and that's  their spring time . Then then you have a few lemons hanging around so if your lemon tree's say five or six metres high  what's the use of having a lemon tree that high . You might as well have it  that it's going to um you'd be able to pick the fruit you don't have to get a cherry picker to pick it.
Uhuh and Sue can I just ask you something else please.
Certainly.
Uh at one time you had uh a recipe for fruit fly on uh for citrus trees also  I think it had water ammonia and something else.
Yeah pretty close you've got water cloudy ammonia vegemite  and sugar that's right and are you connected to the internet.
No I'm not.
Okay it's on the internet site if you know someone who's got the internet go to Sue's Garden.
Go to a library maybe  they'll tell you how to work things.
Yeah dot com dot A U suesgarden as in one word  and um you'll get the whole recipe.
Right  and it's good stuff for the fruit flies is it.
It is good stuff as a attractant to  fruit flies actually Genevieve it's a it's a bait to attract the fruit flies before they cause the damage so you hang it in the tree early in the season.
Thanks very much Genevieve Norma of Kewdale hello Norma.
Hi Norma.
Good morning Harvey good morning Sue. Um.
Don't speak Dutch Norma by any chance.
No I don't   double-dutch but not Dutch .
Yeah that's what I said yeah .
Um. Uh Adeniums Sue  can I prune that now or is it too late or too early or.
About  well you can prune it now but I'd be laih waiting till it warms a little bit just a little bit . Ah well  this weather's been fantastic hasn't it it's been really  warm spring weather   but um usually the beginning of spring  is is just the general rule of thumb  yep so that  new growth yeah  very easy to um to to prune to look after so if you just wanna give it a trim up.
Yeah 'cos it's looking  pretty awful at the moment.
Yeah yeah do tend to .
Yeah.
So ih it's up to you but I'd be waiting a few weeks.
Yeah I'll  do that.
Okay.
Thank you.
You're very welcome Norma.
Bye.
Goodo thank you very much indeed to uh Norma and uh to everybody I wonder if we'll ever give that innuh there's a couple of um  interesting um events coming up have you got them there.
I have Harvey and we've got a couple of events happening there's our orchid show happening um this weekend actually. It's on at the Newpark shopping centre so the last day today at Girrawheen the Wanneroo Orchid Society will feature beautiful display orchids from many countries incrood cluding  Australia and experienced growers will be available every day to advise on culture 'n' things and I'm sure the good people at the Wanneroo Orchid Society is um  not not phased if you bring a grotty old plant in 'n' say how do I fix this up so they really wanna promote and encourage the participation of growing orchids so they'll be able to help you with any details at the Newpark shopping centre in Girrawheen on today. And Harvey something to put in your calendar if you've got nothing to do in the beginning of August or sorry middle of August the Nannup Flower and Garden Festival  is happening from the thirteenth to the twenty-first of August there's nine days of flowers gardens art the tulips are pushing upwards and will be at their best at that time of the year and a floral display in Nannup's town hall open gardens and a display by the W A Daffodil Society plus a new event called a Gardeners Day Out if you want any more information contact the Nannup visitor centre on nine-seven-five-six-one-two-double-one or W W W dot Nannup W A dot com one word Nannup W A dot com uh put that in diary that'll be just a beautiful day out as well.
W wonderful. Hello Noelene of Shoalwater chatting away there on the phone.
Hi Noelene.
Hi Sue hi Harvey. Uh Sue I've got a Kaffir lime tree in a pot.
How's it going.
Uh well I've had it for about three years 'n' it's  it's growing nicely but it's never had a flower or a fruit on it.
They don't have fruit you don't  have kaf Kaffir limes for the fruit you grow them  for the foliage  so so if you wanted a Kaffir lime for sorry a lime tree for its fruit  go for Tahitian lime  but the Kaffir lime is grown for its pungent brilliant foliage so you just pick a few leaves off 'n' cook with them.
Yeah I  do.
And um they are very hesitant in setting fruit that's not unusual.
But they do have fruit don't they  because on the uh the tag it's got a  picture of a lime on it but.
Yeah not very many  but they do  they are few and far between so mostly grown for its  for its foliage.
So not doing anything wrong with this one then.
Not doing anything if it's looking beautiful keep at it.
Okay thanks  and the other one Sue  I've got a an eggplant tree.
Yes.
In a pot . And  excuse me it it does get fruit on it and they're like little golf balls and they're yellow and  hard and uh y'know they just don't do anything.
Did you get this eggplant tree as a grafted eggplant  from Sunflower Garden Centre or somewhere like that.
Ah somewhere in the northern suburbs  my mother gave it to me.
Yeah. They um there's someone growing them  from there  uh they are grafted onto a root a hardy root stock that  then um will will keep growing beautifully and I think from memory there's prickles on the root stock  and the top should keep growing so  what if they get hard and don't do anything at this time of the year Noelene I wouldn't be worried about that  because of the cold. The what do you feed it with.
Oh anything that comes to hand.
Yeah it needs to be lots of food push it on I'm wondering  if it's actually the root stock that's taken over . Because it shouldn't have it should have big purple rooh  beautiful eggplants.
They start out nice and purple  'n' then then they go yellow.
Yeah and how big are they . Yeah they will yellow up  they will they will yellow up if they've been on the plant for too long. What I'd do  and just as an experiment let's see how we go is just feed it with PowerFeed liquid fertiliser  'n' just really push it on  and see if that makes a big difference for you.
What every couple of weeks.
Yeah definitely. Every couple of weeks.
Okay.
Okay.
Thanks Sue.
You're welcome t.
Bye.
Bye.
Righto it's right on nine-thirty we'll take a break Susie.
Twenty-seven minutes to ten goede morgen . Perth that's that's there in uh  very much like the Germanic good mornih g uh no sorry goede goede   G O E D E goede mor goede morgen . That's Dutch for good mornih but our Dutch friends can't get through 'cos everybody else is clagging up the lines wanting to talk to you in English . We worked out what tuin T U I N was you were right . Garden.
Garden. Garden I wonder what um oh there was another word oh waterwise I wonder if there's such thing as waterwise in 'cos there's so much water  in Holland that they wouldn't have to worry about waterwise . Or what water wouldn't water would mean.
W A T E R  W I S E  uh .
I don't think they'd have a drought there would you. Never . What does that translate to question mark.
Question mark  . Hang on well let's just see what water is. Water.
So we're having a language leshun as lesson as well.
Water is god there's a five-hundred-million oh well the first one's good water  .
I vote I'll use that one .
'N' the second one is  begieh begiet can you say that sorry.
Begieten.
Begieten. B E G I E T begieten. Well what's wise.
Besprobiesehn  .
Hang on W I S E.
Gieten gieten is another one.
Wise.
Mm.
Verstandig.
So water verstandig .
Wat so you have a wat you have a vah it'd be vater ver  vater weh v vater verstantig wigg wigg oh gosh.
You sound German  .
I vos  never a Nazi . Let's go to Jenny of Leeming. Hello Jenny .
Oh good morning Harvey good morning Sue.
Hi Jenny.
Hi how are you.
Really well.
I I'm ringing up uh I've got some lawn and I was wanting to take up some of the lawn for over summer  uh 'cos it churns up so much water . And I was thinking about replacing it if you've got any ideas for some  waterwise gard uh ground cover.
I have there's lots  uh Jenny is it in full sun.
Yes.
One of my fay well there's a few did you want native native ones flat  do you want all the same do you want a um a  substitute that you could then  j uh uh start from the beginning d'you wanna keep it just as a lawn green flat area so it looks like lawn but it's not.
Yes I was  thinking of doing that.
Yeah don't wanna put sort of a pathway and native grasses or anything like that  through it. One that's just fantastic is the Myroporum  parvifolium the broad leaf form . It's very flat . And it is um bright green same colour as a bright green lime green lawn and it's a very flat little star white flowers on it Myroporum .
Yeah how do how do you spell that
Myro M Y R O.
M Y R O.
Porum P O R U M  . Broad leeh broad leaf form.
Broad leaf.
Yep. Now uh that's just a fantastic substitute that's getting it is a bit tricky so just  have to go to your l local garden centre 'n' see if they can find it 'n' see see if  we can work from there.
And wuh  when's the best time to plant it.
Oh I'd be planting it any time from now Jenny.
Oh okay.
This this plant spreads about two metres round it's very flat it's used a lot on road verges 'n' things  particularly up our area where there's just heavy soil and just lawn is not practical so  does very well another plant that works well is one called Hemiandra pungens H E M I A N D R A.
H E M I N.
A N D R A.
A N D R A.
Yep Hemiandra pungens that's a fantastic um ground cover  and that but that's prickly if you wanna walk on it  you need shoes so.
So yeah the  other one might be better.
Um the other one's better uh Lippia is another one that attracts bees the  um that's very tough that's a ground cover used a lot for a lawn substitute  and it has pink flowers once a year and those pink flowers are very attractive to bees so you just mow them off when they flower and.
Oh right so you can just mow it off.
Just mow that off  but um the flowers that's a really good one you duh grow that by tubes you can't grow that by seed you need to buy that by pla sorry yeah buy that as plants and plant  the runners . And that'll eventually creep into your lawn too so you need to really separate the area that's tough . Another plant that is a very interesting actually it's not bright green in its foliage but it's a greyey green has flat yellow flowers is a plant called Dimondia D I M O N D I A  that that looks like a really miniature gazania you know the form of the gazania it's really flat ground ground-hugging gazania and  that's a really tough one as well.
Right okay oh that's.
That gives you some choices Jenny.
Yeah lovely  thank you very much for that.
Good to talk to you.
Great.
Bye.
Bye.
Okay thank you very much indeed uh to Jenny she was uh very nice and now I what have I done here yeah what she was after was  grondslag beslaan . That's ground cover in Dutch.
Grondslag beslaan.
Uh grondslag beslaan.
Beslaan. I'll remember that not .
Yeah well it's probably wrong . And the pronunciation's  probably way wrong.
That's probably why no one's .
Hello Vicky of Balcatta.
Oh good morning Sue and Harvey  how are you.
Fantastic.
Um my husband wants to put uh an olive tree out the front uh it'll be in full sun and he likes his frut et cetera to be the biggest you can get so  can you suggest  um um olive tree that has um the big fru  big fruit on it.
And I've got it but the problem is there's one called U C one-five-seven I think it's one-five-seven hybrid  and it has huge fruit  huge like the size of cumquats.
Oh yeah that's  what he'd like.
But you need to pick them green and do something with them when they're green  because if you let them go go till they go black they're soft and mushy  so that's what happens with mine.
Yep yep okay  that's fine yeah.
Uh that variety has rea what they call really high flesh to pip ratio small pip lots of flesh . Uh you'll find um one of the best ones you can't go past kalamata olives Vicky  the for the flavour  ah and uh look I've got four or five different varieties down the driveway. This U C one-five-seven hybrid meaning University California the U C um is bred from that . Huge fruit but um you need to pick them and eat them and pickle them or process 'em when they're green.
And the kalamata you don't have to do that obviously .
No you don't you can have 'em when they're black as well 'n' a nice tree kalamata's probably more a widely available as well.
Okay and how big does the kalamata one grow.
Oh you'll be looking with a olive tree you can let them grow up to six metres high . Uh it's no use having fruit that high so  keep it at about four.
Yep keep  it trimmed yeah  and and the U C one-five-seven  w how the same as that .
Yeah that's a bushy plant mine would be five metres high now mine needs a trim  uh how it's growing but they're all pretty much the same they can be trimmed really easily that's that um keep him contained I've seen some fantastic olives standardised too . In Italy um on those slopes along Mediterranean coast they pollard them they trim them back hard every year  so they're huge trees  um huge trunks but they've  had their tops trimmed off.
And sorry just one last question how  do we have to prepare the soil for those.
Prepare the soil is dig yeah you've got lots of that um acih like that that sand that's on top of those swampy areas  so you need to dig a hole that will be at least sixty centimetres deep by the same wide  discard at least a third of the soil out of the bottom and put um soil improver in it mix that with the existing soil  and yeah the better  even though we say olive trees are tough they don't need much the better preparation you can give them the better the plants do . Yeah.
Alright Sue  that's fantastic.
You're welcome.
Thank you.
Bye.
Okey-dokey thank you very much indeed nineteen minutes to ten and uh time for another break.
Oh dear what a lovely surprise. Let's go to Kelmscott hello Evelyn.
Hi Harvey how are you.
Really well thanks.
Good um I just want to know if anyone in the Kelmscott area do you know of anyone in the Kelmscott area that does fruit tree pruning. We've just moved into this house and  there's about six trees out the back need pruning.
And it's like where do I start  . Yeah call in to Colour Drop Garden Centre anh  and see if they can help you or they put you onto someone  they've been there for a long time.
Yeah I kno  I know where they are yeah  also uh a bat plant  d'you uh know anywhere in W A where you can buy bat plants.
I don't  no.
They are absolutely beautiful nobody seems to know anything  about them  over here.
I don't.
What's a bat plant.
A bat plant mm.
W yeah what what is a bat plant.
Don't know.
It's oh it's like a  a lily it comes up like a lily type of thing but the b the flower itself looks just like a bat.
There you go.
They are absolutely beautiful.
Tt I'm going to have to chase it up 'n' have a look 'n' find out . Evelyn where did you see them or when.
In New South Wales  I was over there last year and everywhere you went all the markets 'n' that had these for sale.
You know what might be the problem. They might be classed as a weed  over here . No over here  and that's the reason why they're not allowed in from  the start so if we know the we'll see if we can find the botanical name and I'll do some research for you.
But they are absolutely beautiful.
Okay we'll see  what I can find out.
Have you got a query ab oh you no you've done  that. Listen now  how would you like to win a forty-five dollar Solvol citrus soap pack for uh for really throwing in a nice curly one this morning Evelyn.
I would like to win anything .
Okay  well you've won  one of those. I'll put you onto um grumpy 'n' he'll look after you.
Alright thank you very much.
Thanks Evelyn.
Okay thanks a lot.
Okay and now Ruth at Gwelup hello Ruth.
Hello Harvey and Sue how's things.
Really well.
Harvey don't tell me you b barrack for the Hawks do you.
I will tell you that.
Well I love Shane Crawford so that's okay.
Yeah oh that's alright then .
Uh he's pass  he's allowed.
Now I've got a lucky bamboo in soil and I think I'd like to try 'n' put it into into water 'n' stones if I could . Can I do that.
Easy all you need to do is grab the sink or grab a bucket fill it up and tip it outta the pot wash all the soil off and away you go  that's all you need to do so simple and then if you've got a vase or some stones that you can put.
Yes yes.
Yep yeah no problem that's so easy  I think they actually do better in in water.
Yeah well I seem to forget to water it a bit and  um.
They don't like drying out.
No  and I've got some Aquaplant hydro phonic hydroponic fertiliser.
Now your hydroponic fertiliser is that high in other nutrients rather than nitrogen.
Um.
Tt do you know.
It's got.
Have a look at it.
Nitrate nitrogen two-point-one-one ammonium nitrogen point-two . Total nitrogen two-point-three-one  phos phosphorus  potassium.
Yeah yep. Those are high. I would be looking at you can use it but it's not ideal lucky bamboos need high nitrogen fertiliser not not um high phosphorus or all those other things so  it's better to use um a fertiliser that's high in nitrogen something like Thrive.
Good on you Ruth that uh should answer the question now did I do good did I.
You did so fantastic.
Did I do good.
Yes I think I think it's actually classed as  if it's a bat plant you can grow it in tropical areas so it doesn't grow so well here um Evelyn so just looking at some information that's on the internet. Paradise Distributors it's available if you go  under Burke's Backyard website there's a a fact sheet on the white bat plant which is  most  it's commonly known as the white bat plant   so but not seen it available here. There you go.
Okay.
""" Program G P Dr Sally Cockburn good morning."
Morning Neil.
I thought this would be impossible your doctor  always knows what's wrong.
Look we don't I mean no one knows everything and I think one of the most important things I've always said is a good doctor is someone who admits their limitations. And uh I I suddenly thought the other day and I thought this might an interesting topic to discuss which is 'cos I received an email from someone actually saying I've been to a whole lot of doctors and they can't find anything to tell me what's wrong with me. And this notion of going from doctor to doctor to doctor does it actually get you anywhere or would you be better to stick with the one doctor who says I don't know but let's use me as a home base and find out what we can learn.
I think most people would've been through that at some stage  where you go to the doctor you've been crook for ah dunno we've done all the blood tests I dunno. It's a virus go away and uh it's still there a month later.
Yeah but really if you listen to what they say they're not saying go away. What they're saying is I don't know what's wrong with you at the moment I'm really willing to keep looking and I really want you to come back if you don't get better. People often assume oh they're not interested they don't care  and they don't come .
I wouldn't say that.
Yeah but what I'm saying is I think that ih it's more productive to go back to the person who knows what you've already been looking at or what you've been testing for rather than going to another doctor and getting a whole set of  .
what if I say okay just  uh a bit I'm not happy I wanna go to another doctor  and get get checked over again can I require the doctor who's been treating me to send all my files across.
Well under the privacy laws these days you've got access to your health records anyway so of course.
So I can pick them up and take them with me . It wasn't normally the case was it.
Y y yeah no it has changed I think it was two years ago 'n' 'n' well I launched the the act I think it was two years ago in July.
Yeah okay so what's your advice. You've been going to the doctor you're going to the doctor you just can't identify what's  wrong but you know something's wrong.
Well I think to ask the doctor can you give me some sort of plan on where to from here and that is y'know are there other tests I can have or should I g should I g uh can you refer me to a specialist or something and I don't think there's any doctor in this state or in this country or in this world who would not oblige and I think that's the thing if I don't know the answer if I can't help you and you've still got symptoms then it is up to me to either I believe send you off to someone else or keep looking.
Nine-six-nine-six-twelve-seventy-eight ever been through it they just couldn't decide what was wrong with you. We don't know what's wrong with you you know you're crook so what do you do. And what happened. Nine-six-nine-six-twelve-seventy-eight calls for Dr Sally Cockburn. Nine-six-nine-six-twelve-seventy-eight when the doctor just didn't know what's wrong with you. Tell you what I hate 'n' it's happened to me  once  once or twice. What I hate though is getting on a merry-go-round when the doctor and quite rightly s look I dunno what it is. I can see there's a problem but this is alright that's alright we've done all the tests. We'll have to send you to a specialist  and off you go through that with usually  a physician  specialist physician 'n' ye here I go again more tests  they hang you upside down by the ankles and take blood from your left nostril. Hate it . I'd I s look if I'm gunna get better I'll just let it go away.
Look I think one of the important things is is that most people are worried have I got cancer or have I got something serious and oftentimes we can rule out that there's something serious going on but we can't give you a name for it so we we play a bit of a watchful waiting game we see what develops and I think that's the important part we're waiting and watching you're under surveillance I.
So are the serious things usually uh comparably easy to rule out.
In a lot of cases I can't give a blanket  answer on that but the thing is that usually um y'know 'n' people say oh well just give me a total body M R I and you'll rule everything out well that's not the case either. Um you can't do these blanket tests that rule things out. It's a matter of putting jigsaw pieces together often Neil and it's a combination of your story uh re physical examination and tests.
What's the key test then what's the first thing you do if I come to you and say I'm absolutely exhausted I can't get myself  up and going  which is the normal thing  what do I say.
As the first thing I'd.
it is Thursday so of course I am.
I go the first thing I'd do is talk to you about um what the options could be and and in fact that happens to me every day in my practice  and uh I say look tiredness is one of the d most difficult things to investigate 'cos it could be very serious or it could be absolutely nothing it could be anything from physical to emotional and we need to start somewhere but we need to stop somewhere too. So I ask the patient what they're concerned about I try to localise any symptoms the classic things you ask about Neil are weight loss weight loss is a um as in that you haven't been trying and it has happened anyway. Um pai localising pain so if you can we try to get a handle on localising where the problem might be and wih there's a thing called Occam's razor in medicine Occam was some great philosopher and he said common things happen commonly and if a symptom uh if there's a set of symptoms try and link them up together rather than thinking of several different things going on.
Okay and is there a b is there a a b a blood test a generic blood test to do.
Look there's no generic blood test there's certain uh b like the sorta thing we're looking for with tiredness obviously would be top of the list anaemia  um so we'd do a full blood examination and check your haemoglobin and your iron studies they're quite common especially in women that's a not an uncommon thing. Thyroid is another common cause of tiredness.
What's your sedimentation rate.
An E S R an erih erythrocyte sedimentation rate's a great test. It's probably the most vague test known to man I don't really understand why it's significant but this is how it works. You basically put a whole lot of red blood cells in a in a tube and you see how long they take to settle at the bottom. If they take a long time to settle you're sick if they settle quickly you're well.
But does it say what's wrong with you.
No. It'll tell you whether there's some sort of inflammatory process going on um the sort of inflammatory processes can range from that you've got a cold through to cancer  so it doesn't mean anything.
Although don't  . Although well everybody does it.
It doesn't mean anything specific there .
I've got blood cells dropping out of the sky all over the place. Diane hello.
Hi Steve how are you.
Neil. Who's Steve.
Oh  .
Jeez you're outta date.
I didn't even like him anyway and um.
Neither does most of Sydney. No that's not fair.
No that's not.
He's he's alright he's just at war at the moment unfortunately.
I'm just ringing about um about six years ago um my husband came home from work never took a day off in his life 'n' we took him to the oh we went to the doctor 'n' he was diagnosed with a virus. Went on for a week um on the Saturday he couldn't stand up I took him to the hospital and he had legionnaire's disease.
Legionnaire's disease  um thing to diagnose we we actually think it's probably a lot more common in the community than we we believe uh it often gets passed off as the flu when people get over it.
The sick building syndrome.
Yeah but uh it's uh ih well I prefer to just cause it a call it a a bug y'know it it is part of the.
That's what you say all the time. Don't feel well oh you've got a bug it'll go away.
No look  we don't Neil uh . No w we we say at the best to the best of my ability I think you've got a bug but of course if it goes on or the following symptoms um recur then we need to see you. But what's ac.
It's not a very satisfying diagnosis for a person  you've got a virus.
I know.
Can't treat it.
But can I a very big point was brought up there. It's very important to say to your doctor I've had these symptoms for five days or whatever I've I've been working on the assumption that it was a bug I'm coming to you because I actually   it is and also I never go to doctors. Give a context of of your state of health.
A break more calls Dr Sally Cockburn program G P.
Dr Sally Cockburn program G P we're taking calls what do you do when the doctor doesn't know uh we've also managed to make contact with the uh one of the executives at All Sports Direct the people who are behind this uh  raffle  rort as I called it. Uh they're still not talking. Still not talking. Valerie go ahead.
Hi Neil  Sally how are you.
Good.
Um I was very ill  uh well I'd misdiagnosed by a doctors a while back. Um I think they thought I was a housewife  'n' just sort of thinking about myself at home looking after children um my  kept getting swollen very swollen stomachs and um my husband take me up the doctor's and they end up saying  in the finish. Take her to see a psychiatrist.
Mhm.
Anyway uh what happened um couple of weeks later I found another new doctor. And  tests and I had tumours wrapped around my bowel I nearly died . And I was in hospital eight weeks.
Look I I think Valerie there there's the real problem is it comes down to communication I think often that that what we need to make sure we we have is communication on both sides of the uh of the s the stethoscope. That we need to make sure the doctor is listening when you talk  does take you seriously and that if you feel that you haven't been able to get your story across you need to ask again. I I think today though we're we're m interested in in really the issue of when the doctor says they don't know and you've done the right thing you get a second opinion.
Do you reckon doctors over rely on uh uh technology at times rather than uh  investigation or in quetio or  questions or  even instinct.
Yes yes yes yes I do . Yes I think that modern medicine is going that way I believe in the art of medicine. Um certainly there's the gut feeling Neil and the number of times I use gut feeling which is look these tests say this but I gotta tell you I'm feeling this. Okay I can't  it's not scientific. But people want to think um that at least you're thinking and they wanna know you're thinking and that's important.
I remember when I was misdiagnosed by a machine with  pancreatic cancer years ago and the bloke who ran the  the company that had the machines y'know the doctor in charge of that I saw him after the event and he said I I knew you weren't crook . Uh I looked in your eyes.
Yeah uh l look you weren't yellow.
I wish you'd told me.
Well I think Neil the thing is that we we have these tests I get tests back all the time and there's a recommendation I'm committed to follow through that recommendation because let's face it medih meh medico-legally if I don't I'm in strife but I say to the patient look y'know this seems unr unnecessary my gut feeling is  but I can't stand up on a gut feeling in court.
Oh of course. Rosa hello.
Hi.
Hi Rosa.
Um I'm just saying that my father's actually in the exact position whereas they couldn't work out  wrong with him so now he's in hospital for three days to get every kinda test possible.
That's a reasonable option.
Yeah.
Can I say one of the other things though when they say oh we don't know what's wrong with you is to do your own reading do your own research have a think don't get sc oh no Neil you're looking shocked  'cos I've said. No I have no problem with people using the internet if they use it wisely and don't m make self diagnoses  but think of options and the other thing I have no problem with it.
Very wise doctor once said to me they should take all medical advice books and burn them.
No. Not  medical advice I'm talking about going to.
Well you know those little Reader's Digest  what is wrong with you . Diagnosis in  two-hundred words.
You're just looking up information   everyone deserves to be informed.
Same thing if you're sp ih the average person spends ten minutes on the internet they'll have six different diseases and I put myself in that category. We're all hypochondriacs.
reputable sites like mine .
We're all hypochondriacs we'll all be convinced that's what we've got.
Well then to be honest with the doctor what you're scared of. Y'know the number of people come in  oh I've got this little sore finger here w oh are you worried it's cancer well I am actually but I didn't want to say.
Rosa how's your dad going. No. Dropped out has she.
Yes.
How how's he going.
I don't know.
Whadda whadda your s what are his symptoms.
He's just got um pains in the stomach that is very unusual 'cos he never ever ever gets sick  and they've been going on and off for six weeks and he's had C T scans he's had uh colonoscopy grastroscopy   loads of blood tests so now they're just putting everything through.
Yeah oh  feel sorry for him going through that  circus.
But the thing is I mean y y'know sometimes we get tied up in the notion of we need to find a diagnosis and sometimes we can't actually call it anything. Um and if we know it's nothing serious we need to work on how to get better.
Y'know the other thing is if you don't go to the doctor you don't get sick.
Hm hm hm hm hm   and w and don't go to hospital 'cos people die there.
It's  exactly. Barbara hello.
Um  good morning Neil and good morning Dr Cockburn. Um look I was just wondering what ever happened to the um old family doctor who knew um all your history.
We're still around.
And they were marvellous diagnosticians  um when you went to the doctor you had take specimen of urine which they  tested .
We still do that.
No we don't.
Yes we do  we do.
No you don't.
I don't.
We do. I can assure you. I can't tell you how many times I keep running outta the little dippy sticks . Uh I think I I take your point.
What's the dippy stick that's for uh diabetes.
Oh all sorts of things diabetes in infection. Can I pric  your point up and I agree with you entirely  that that unfortunately  the way the world is going medico-legally and timewise um uh w that the art of of the family physician is is dying but we still exist and certainly specialist G P training is encouraged.
Be good to rephrase that I think.
What did I say.
The art of the physician is dying.
The art yes I mean that it's all being taken over by technology.
Not the aim the okay. Righto.
The art  the art of  yes the art is disappearing sorry . Um the thing is that we y'know I teach medical students and we are trying to encourage them to remember the importance of history taking and physical examination and to never forget that.
It is very reassuring to have a family doctor who you who's known for years  and when you ring up and you say I've got a pain in the gut   he says oh you had that last week  or you had that two years ago or you idiot you've been on the red wine again.
Yeah well look I must say I've I've got patients I've had for fifteen years and I I love seeing them  because I know  .
And oh even longer actually couple of them. And I n I know it's reassuring for them because they know I know them and uh it's good.
Dr Sally Cockburn our disease of the week is tiredness. Fix it.
Yeah I'd love to Neil. G um basically look at your lifestyle before you start looking outside. Stop smoking. Go to bed early. Do all the healthy things. Don't stress at work. And at the end of the day go through a list of things you can change and things you can't change and just wipe those ones off that you can't change and start working on the ones you .
Do you ever get tired.
Of course I do.
Physician heal thyself.
I go to sleep. Or I veg out with a movie oh go and see um um that Jack Nicholson one. Love it.
No I saw ih uh Thirteen the other day 'cos I'm interviewing Holly Hunter tomorrow.
Oh yeah.
It's all about a thirteen year old kid girl getting on the drugs  and oh it's gruh.
Jack Nicholson is a gorgeous movie that one.
Dr Sally Cockburn. Program G P. Thank you.
Thank you Neil.
"In a moment the minister for gaming John Pandazopoulos."""
""" Where we are talking about how long it takes to install stuff. I'm a little annoyed about all of this because I was up till three in the morning yesterday  installing the internet on my girlfriend's laptop. I don't begrudge her for asking love her and all that stuff but it taking so long to just install really simple easy stuff now this stuff really does shit me. What about you Ella hello."
Hi  I was so frustrated I nearly chucked my computer out the window.
What happened to it 'n' how long did it take.
It's an iMac computer and I thought it'd be really easy  and it took five hours and oh  I was so pissed off.
Were you by yourself.
Yeah  oh well my mum made me do it 'cos she didn't want to.
Ah did you yell and curse at your mum a lot.
I yelled and cursed at the computer and  got in trouble from my mum .
Alright thank you for the call T J is in Auburn mate what were you trying to install or build and how long did it take.
Uh scanner it took me like seven hours.
Seven hours.
Yeah.
Is this because it was illegal.
No I mean  most of it took because um putting installing it in.
Yeah no in absuh seven hours though it's illegal so you're not gunna win a prize. Uh Jo how long did it take you to build something or program something in Casula.
Basically I was on hold for a almost two hours with Telstra because I used to have those porn popups.
Yes.
And I had m I was living with a cousin of mine who was twelve and she really got offended by them  so I wanted to get rid of it 'cos I was on broadband.
Okay so who found the uh pornography first.
My cousin my twelve year old cousin .
Oh okay well that's fair enough then isn't it.
Yeah.
Yeah well see there you go what are you worried about.
But still  two hours on hold to Telstra like how many technicians do they have working there.
True but someone got to see porn. There's there is always a positive side.  I can't believe I just said that about a twelve year old. Hello Ruben.
Hello what did you try to install.
Um multimedia messagining  on my phone um.
How long did it take you.
Um five hours  of hold and then like another three hours trying to get my codes that I needed to activate it.
Five hours alright Johnny can you beat that in Botany.
Yep.
What with.
Okay I got a virus the other day  and uh I needed to reinstall the entire machine and took the entire day so we're talking about twelve to thirteen hours.
Oh my friend that is a massive effort but there is a guy who can beat all of them. Hello L J.
Hello how's it going.
H hello I'm fantastic but your life uh  has been ruined by a little thing sitting in your garage in Mt Druitt hasn't it.
Yes it has. .
Talk to me.
Three months I've been waiting for engine mounts for my car.
Three months.
Three months.
Do you know what's gonna ease the pain my friend.
What's that.
A copy of the worst movie of two-thousand-and-three which I'm sending to you Gigli.
Oh okay  which one which movie's that.
See that's what I do for you. I send you bad movies. Thank you so much and thank you to everyone who gave us call if you wanna send text messages about this stuff oh-four-three-nine-triple-eight-nine-six-nine I'll read 'em out a little bit later. Oh dear in a moment's time the very latest edition of C S I Sydney a rig radio contest as well plus the latest from Tashka the Paul Murray show at Nova nine-six-nine.
Y'know from time to time  you go off and buy a do it yourself magazine and the plans just don't work out right. If that's the way your heart is feeling this evening I'd like you to give me a call now on one-double-three-nine-six-nine  Megan is a beautiful name 'cos you're a lovely and sensuous woman aren't you.
Mm I'm a sensuous sensual woman yes .
Oh yes indeed .
Yeah  now I rang to told you  about my fetish.
Well let's talk  about this special  love you have.
Oh it's uh puppets I just want jack to get outta my box you see.
Really really.
Puppets you know how they jump out  at you they burst out and  just get a little afraid but a little bit sexual and heated at the same time.
Megan are you a long time fan of marionette.
What is marionettes but I do know the puppet show.  Oh . Remember those childhood  memories  Johnny.
What is it  .
Oh dear.
What exactly is your  uh your favourite memory  of a puppet.
Okay well I was once at the Easter Show and this this puppet of of Kermit he was small green dangly and and he just popped out at me and said hello  I'm Kermit the frog .
Well  it always is so lovely to speak to you Megan. Megan what advice do you have for young people.
Well I just have to say  tell your friend  tell your friend  something.
Is there a song that you'd like to uh to hear for the world of puppetry.
I would like to hear  anything that makes you go crazy and party.
That spells Delta Goodrem to me.  Megan's a lovely lady if you wanna call us please do so on one-double-three-nine-six-nine this is love song dedimications.
There she is. Beautiful Delta Goodrem at Nova nine-six-nine. Just a magical girl of course. You may well have heard a little earlier in the evening that she is indeed planning a return to television and Neighbours. Mm yummy.
Oh an awful lot of people have decided to pull on the funny pants tonight Brett is among them. Brett you're a man who's   not having the best of time at love are you.
No.
And what is it about love at the moment that's just not working out for you.
Oh well I have a stalker at the moment.
Mm.
Yeah.
How's that working out for you.
Uh it's not good. Every time I go to work and go to Museum station they're always there following me.
Really.
Yeah.
And uh can you explain what these stalkers look like.
Um they're really big and fat  and hairy.  It's really scary.
Yeah is that because you didn't pay for a ticket.
Uh no no I don't know where they're following me.
Mm well  neither do we. Hello Crystal. Hello Crystal.
Hello.
Yes my lovey how are you.
Oh not very good.
Talk to me.
Well well I'm kind of in the middle of something.
What right now.
Um no .
Yes what exactly is going on in your life that you need to to talk to us on the radio about.
Um well I had a boyfriend.
Yeah.
Yeah .
He's a terrible man.
Yeah he was . And he just keeps cheating and playing round  everything . And we fight all the time and we're  broken up now.
Yeah well I think it's time you left him.
I can't though but he's such an arsehole.
Well then you should leave him.
I can't.
Why.
I don't know I just love him so much.
No no no no no no you're an idiot leave him right now. If you want to call us please do so one-double-three-nine-six-nine last night a fantastic call  from a beautiful name called Juicy.
Juicy.
Hi.
Uh wr you're a lady who's been having a bit of trouble at love haven't you.
Um not so much trouble in love I'm with a friend from work and she's having a sex lingerie party tonight  and I'd just like.
Fantastic  fantastic . Did you buy anything.
Uh yeah we all had a fair bit of sales yes we were just waiting.
What did you what did you what did you purchase.
Um about twelve of us bought butterfly bumblebees .
Okay um I'm I'd love to ask but I'm not going to for fear of   finding out more than I well need to know publicly. Is is is that  is that clothing.
Um  sort of it's clothing with a little bit that buzzes.
Oh excellent  now is there a song that you'd   oh. I'm I'm pleased that there's a crowd in tonight.  Now when can you tell us when you decide to to purchase um private  negotiation business.   Did you do this because you're a lonely lady.
No we all did it because we all work at the same place and we thought it'd be good  fun behind the bar that we work in .
How long have you worked at Australia Post.
Sorry.
How long have you worked at Australia Post.
No  um long enough .
Yeah now do you work at Nova mail sorting section there are you one of the people who double checks the post codes 'cos I sent a message to Telstra not long ago and uh they haven't written back to me yet.
Um no I'm in the sorting department.
Oh excellent do you find many fun things in there.
Um I try not to look.
Isn't that spectacular.  Now you're a nudist aren't you.
A nudist.
Yeah.
No I'm not a nudist.
Oh it says here on your internet profile that you're a nudist and you're into horse riding.
No that's not me actually.
Oh okay well uh ooh fair enough then um why did you call.
Uh we're actually waiting on our stripper.
Oh dun dun dun duh duh duh  and if you'd like to join that list of callers please do so one-double-three-nine-six-nine. Maybe you're having a lingerie party if you are I'm keen to talk one-double-three-nine-six-nine. Love you Juicy. Love Muscle Nova nine-six-nine.
Love song dedimications with The Love Muscle here at Nova nine-six-nine we're talking about all sorts of issues of love. Whether you're listening to us in analogue digital home car or wherever you may well be  the rules are  oh so simple we talk freely and openly about all important matters. There is a couple we'll be talking to in a moment who  have had a very disappointing night. A whole bunch of people have texted us on oh-four-three-nine-triple-eight-nine-six-nine  including one young person by the name of Troy. Troy has a girlfriend  but is in love with his brother's girlfriend. What should he do. Should he break it all off or continue the way it is. Well I think it's okay my friend as long as your brother never finds out and you should uh get a prepaid mobile phone. That way you can run both girlfriends at the same time. There's a whole bunch of people all waiting on the phone lines now let us jump to them very very shortly but let us begin with a couple  who meant oh so much to me and unfortunately they've actually literally just hung up just a second ago. So aren't they worthless bastards. Hello Brett.
Uh it's actually Dave from Kings Cross.
Oh yes Dave.
Um just a bit lonely in the shop tonight I was just wondering if any your female customers would like to come out shopping.
Well obviously we're not gunna give an address on the radio but explain why are you lonely this evening.
Say that again sorry.
Why are you lonely tonight.
Just a long shift in the night shop you know what I mean.
Yeah do you uh do you enjoy working such a  such a seamy and unpleasant location or do you see it as invigorating.
Well it has its moments that can be quite enjoyable.
Yeah. Now a lotta people who work in video stores have the uh latest releases out. What's the latest release you're playing in the background there.
Um that's an Ed Powers latest release.
Yeah well it sounds uh most inviting. Thank you so much Dave.
Thank you.
If you'd like to call us please do so on one-double-three-nine-six-nine. There was a couple who were gunna talk about a threesome unfortunately they hung up. I can assure you it was gunna be fun. If we can find them they may call one-double-three-nine-six-nine Nova nine-six-nine.
Here on Nova nine-six-nine my name is The Love Muscle 'n' it is my genuine pleasure to talk to  specially and inviting people on the radio. Those people are Jas and Jimmy. Hello darlings.
Hi this is Jasmine.
Hello.
Hi I'm Jimmy.
Hello guys and you're uh self confessed swingers.
Ti yeah uh that's exactly  right act.
Completely.
Alright  tell us what happened tonight.
Okay well we went to our um our love triangle's house.  Our third person as we like to call him.
Have you spent time there before.
Yes we have  numerous  amounts of time.    And we've  we've uh rocked up and he's served us with some ricotta pastizzi  out of the blue  that his mother cooked.
Oh okay yes.
Now um it was very disgusting but anyway.
Yeah.
Um ih we kinda got down and y'know getting to the business.
Yes.
That's right.
Yes.
And um he was more interested in Jas than Jimmy.
Oh so you actually did progress to the moments of privateness.
Yeah.
We did we did.
Now Jas I mean uh uh w why is this a particular issue surely in a in a three way negotiation one person  is always more favoured than the other.
Yeah well I mean it was good because I got to double dip and hook in with both but um.
Oh dear.
Yeah I felt sorry for Jimmy 'cos Jimmy's my boyfriend.
Yeah.
And um like if he's not gunna enjoy himself  then I'm not gunna enjoy myself  you know completely so I was really disappointed.
Yeah no Jim.
Yeah.
Obviously this can be a trap for young players what is the hardest thing about finding uh a a special partner in these circumstances.
Oh God.  The hardest thing.
Yeah.
Oh God it's just hie  finding the s right person  to be honest.
Fresh meat.
Can you just uh yeah can you can you just answer the following question.
Sure.
Mm.
After you've spent time with a third party.
Mm.
What do you say.
What do we say.
Well at the end of it all what do you say.
Well .
Do you just say thank you and walk away.
Well tonight we said thanks for the cuppa that tea and your ricotta pastizzi drink  but um.
Yeah that  was about it but regularly  we just kinda talk about it.   And then it's kinda like wham bam thank you ma'am see y'later.
Mm well.
Yeah definitely.
You see there they are they're swingers and if you want their number we have it here on Nova nine-six-nine. I don't regret doing that on the radio for one second.
We are talking uh about movies on the Paul Murray show here as we do each and every evening  at about this time talk to a whole bunch of people that have been driving back  from a film that they saw at nine-thirty or maybe were home 'cos they saw one at seven-thirty give us a call one-double-three-nine-six-nine if this applies to you on offer my friends for the best reviewer of the evening is a special D V D release  of a truly classic film. Glen saw the Butterfly Effect in Macquarie Centre mate what'd you think of it.
That is the best movie I've seen in my life. Seriously I've seen a lotta movies and that that movie like yeah.  Blew my mind it's that good yeah.
Massive call but why.
Why.
Mm.
Oh it's just full of action and the twists and the turns in it 'n'  and the acting like Ashton Kutcher and the and the other girl that's in it that you haven't even heard of before . See she really plays her part well and I have to say that everyone should go and see it anyone who gives this this movie a bad review should be shot seriously it's a really good movie.
I think you've just made a proh a poster my friend.  Now tell us okay now is it a thriller is it an action mooh what is it.
It's everything.
It's everything.
It's everything it.
Is it a porno.
No .
Is it a children's movie.
It can be .
Is it a cartoon.
No it's a .
Is it made by Pixar.  I think I've proven my point but yeah.
Yeah yeah it's a bit of action I'll yep comedy it's got everything in it it really has.
Well because my friend look. There may well be better reviews than you but because you did such a great job you're getting a copy of Gigli the worst movie of last year.
Woo-hoo thank you  .
Ah good man. Alright give us a call one-double-three-nine-six-nine what'd you see at nine-thirty I may well have another copy if you're very good. One-double-three-nine-six-nine Nova nine-six-nine twelve-hundred techniques.
And the Paul Murray show where we are fastly running out of time here I think I'll ih can invent words if I want to but we talk about the movies now just heard  from a young gentleman who declared none other than Glen who said that the Butterfly Effect was the best movie he's ever seen and there is no way that anyone who says that it is a bad film in fact he said that anyone who gives it a bad review should be shot. Lara is it time for me to cock the gun.
No seriously it's crap.
Why now don't give anything away but why.
I mean I love Ashton Kutcher I think he's the biggest babe but  like seriously this movie was so below him.
Oh well thank you so much I look y'know what 'cos I love you. You're not gonna got shot.
Oh okay then.
So you're you feel relaxed now.
Oh definitely  I was hoping for the D V D but y'know  if it saves my life.
Well I'm s see y'know what I mean  what a choice. Benjy you also saw Butterfly effect but at Fox what'd y'think.
I thought that it was the craziest movie that I have ever seen in my life . I thought it was fantastic.
Now help us in on your your lingo here crazy because it's impressive crazy because it's weird.
Uh it's just like I'm on my way home now with a friend and we are both just freaked out by watching that movie.
Well  thank you so much for calling us I hope that wasn't too much of a freaky experience. Oh dear Nova nine-six-nine the Paul Murray show .
""" Morning Mark."
Uh uh good morning John. Um the yeah I've I've been listening to you for thirty-two years and that must make me sound old but  but it doesn't but in all of that time in all of that thirty-two years you've done some pretty tough stories but I don't ever remember anything as bad as this Russian thing.
I don't either.
Where where people go out and and um kill babies and children for for for what they think is a  is a is a just cause  and w and we we call them terrorists  but they don't terrorise me they they revolt me they they just revolt me. Uh th I ju we ju they're cowards. They're most the most gutless bums I've I've ever heard of to  to shoot a shoot a a little kiddie in the m in the back. I mean y you you l look at what makes a coward in Australia a coward in Australia is somebody who gunna king hit you in a pub or waits till you turn around and hits you over the back of the head or s or something. But these these people these people that we call terrorists  they go and tie somebody up wi with their hands behind them in Iraq or something and then chop their head off on on video  and and they and they say that that's that's right. Uh uh they say they're executing they're not executing anybody execution is is something that's done by a court they're they're just murdering cold blood murder.
That's what it is.
And th these l little kids have are exactly the same thing as if they were tied up filmed and and had their heads chopped off because these people get some  gratification out of it. We're what're what're we doing John.
I don't know. I don't know Mark I sat most of the weekend glued to it looking at it seeing too much of the same footage over and over again I've gotta say but nonetheless  it was uh it was just an awful weekend for us but uh I was think about it this morning while I was taking a shower  uh we were worried in Sydney last night because uh there was a hail storm.  Uh we were worried probably 'cos there was a traffic jam.  The hail held up the traffic but the hail was nothing like the hail of bullets  that uh those little kids experienced in the back of their legs back of their little heads  uh beautiful little skin just ripped apart by bullets  and all in the name of uh religion or politics tase take your pick.
Well th wu you y'know you say religion you've s you've said this many times you say it's not all Muslims. I know but when was the last time you saw or heard a Muslim doing a good brave deed for the whole world community.
Well I'd I can't tell you that but of course that would happen because there are many good Muslims. It's just this fanatical  uh branch of uh of Islam that are simply murderers.  And they do it all in the name  of uh of their god and they have this extraordinary belief that they're gunna be off to some wonderful heaven  uh to be able to  rest in peace after the destruction of humanity in the way that they've destroyed it.
But then we've we blame the political leaders we're blaming Putin now for for for the Russian soldiers not being able to.
Well I w   I d  I d I don't know about that I'm not b uh blaming Putin the whole the whole thing was a disaster who in the world could have predicted that such a thing would happen.
Well why do you need to have your army to have plans drawn up to rescue schoolchildren from schools I mean come on we we we  people aren't meant to take over them.
Yeah but but in fairness Mark nobody in their right mind nobody in their right mind could have anticipated that that sort of thing would happen  any more than anybody in their right mind could have anticipated September eleven unless you had some uh intelligence on the subject and the same with what occurred  in in Russia. I couldn't ever have imagined in my wildest dreams of any human being wanting to do that to other human beings.
Well as um  as Mark just said Russian president Vladimir Putin has now admitted the security forces' response was inadequate and ill prepared and promised all sorts as yet unspecified new security measures  but is this uh uh is this part of the international terrorist attack or is this specifically a Russian issue relating to the independence of Chechnya. Clive Williams is an international terrorism expert with the Strategic and Defence Study Centre at the A N U  and he's um on the line Clive good morning.
Good morning John.
Is this specifically about uh Chechnya or is it part of the international terrorist attack on  Christianity.
Ih it's mainly about Chechnya. The the Russians actually first occupied Chechnya in eighteen-fifty-eight and they've maintained fairly tight control over Chechnya ever since apart from a couple of periods um after the October Revolution in I think it was nineteen-seventeen uh they lost control of Chechnya and it gained some degree of independence and uh uh under Stalin he deported most of the Chechen population to the Soviet far eastern Siberia and they were allowed to return under Krushchev but  y'know there have been periods when Russian control has been relatively weak and other times when it's been stronger but um certainly since probably ninety-four uh they've had trouble controlling Chechnya. And there are some outside elements fighting in Chechnya in support of the Chechens.
Alright now there the the Chechen independence movement is that uh entirely Muslim.
Uh I'd I'd I'd say so yes because um I mean it's a predominantly Islamic population there probably are pockets of Christian groups within Chechnya but I think there'd be very small numbers. It's predominantly an Islamic country as is Ingushetia which is a neighbouring  country in Dagestan but um North Ossetia is actually predominantly Christian so it is a bit different to the others.
Uh di   support from the Christian Chechen population.
Um maybe uh I I I don't know I mean I s I'd say that if there are Christians in Chechnya they'd be a f in a a very small minority of people there I would think. I don't think uh you know they're a factor in all of this.
So this ih this is about the independence of Chechnya not about creating an Islamic state.
Well th th a the aim is create an independent Islamic state so it's two elements there and because of the fact of the population being predominantly Muslim  uh they do get outside support so y'know there has been money flowing in to support the Chechen resistance movement if you want to call it that uh from outside predominantly from the Middle East. But the ih it's by no means a combined  element you know it's misleading to say that that there is a a coordinated ch uh Chechen uh resistance movement because uh some groups are just bandit groups criminal groups uh there are some that are operating under warlords and in fact what happened after uh ninety-six when uh the Russians  basically signed a peace agreement with the Chechens and Maskhadov became president uh one of the things the Russians had promised was to rebuild Chechnya because the infrastructure had been destroyed and uh Maskhadov ended up not being able to control the elements who  engage in criminality because there there basically were no jobs and uh so he lost control and then he was displaced by the Russians who put their own person in. So y'know it's sort of it's a it's been a mixed picture over recent years.
Now Vladimir Putin has promised tough new measures to deal with this uh problem. If that means sending in the Russian troops again as they did back in nineteen-ninety-nine  w w w what do you think that would achieve.
Well the the Russians are still the Russian troops are still there I mean it just would mean more sending more troops in. Um I'm not sure that he can actually quash the resistance because you know it's mountainous country and uh and these people I are there for the longer term I mean they can always flee into into surrounding areas too so um I doh I don't think that Putin even with sort of a tough approach can actually resolve a situation  and because of the the number of Chechens that live in Russia itself there's always gunna be a fifth column in Russia that is capable of doing  or supporting activities in Russia anyway so I mean I don't think the the tough approach which he promised previously you might remember  is gunna work I th I think really what it needs is some sort of negotiated agreement  which would involve something like y'know the Marshall plan which rebuilt Europe but rebuilding Chechnya so that people do have alternatives  y'know uh and a vested interest in becoming part of the of a normal economy.
Do you think that negotiation is a possibility.
Uh well it would have to be brokered by somebody outside and that's g a difficulty for the Russians because uh Putin would be very reluctant to allow anyone else to come in as an honest broker I think. Uh but I think that's probably the only way it could be resolved because the Chechens don't tru trust the Russians and the Russians don't trust the Chechens so  y'know it's gunna be very difficult to get them to agree on anything without somebody else being involved.
Okay well uh if Putin wouldn't uh approve of that he's got to approve of something. He's gotta do something.
Yeah I mean what he's facing I think is more of the same frankly I mean I don't think they'll go for a school again because  uh the people involved this time were heavily criticised uh particularly from the Middle East for doing that. So I think that that was a very bad po uh choice of target I mean apart from the tragedy of it all and so on. Um so I think that they'll probably continue to focus maybe on bombings of trains and subway stations and perhaps aircraft that sort of thing in Russia itself which  they can do with relative impunity.
Yep. Russia's been accused of being the creator of the Chechen problem itself because of the  the brutal repression it uh perpetrated there years ago and did for did for years the brutality that existed there do you think that that has got uh much to do with what occur uh is occurring now.
Certainly because um y'know the probably the most committed people are what are called the black widows. And these are uh the widows of of people who have been killed by the Russians or they're women who have been raped by the Russians  um or have had family members killed by the Russians y'know who are quite prepared to suicide themselves in order to kill Russians. And uh y'know that that's gunna be an ongoing problem for them I think that um uh really they're not th I don't think the Russians are really capable of subduing the situation in Chechnya at the present time.
For the past couple of years since that debacle at the theatre it's been relatively quiet until uh of late with the aeroplanes and the other problems uh they had. Do you think it'll quieten down again for a while or will this cause it to escalate.
Uh well what we've been seeing in recent times is is a spreading of the problem and a more radicalisation of the problem so  uh it might be that they've y'know they'll they've got limited capability to sustain this kind of level of activity but I think we'll see another resurgence of this kind of activity uh maybe in a year's time or whatever if they're not capable of continuing these sorts of activities for the present time.
Yeah how powerful is this rebel leader this Shamil Basayev. Is uh would he have condoned the school siege if he'd known about it.
Uh well they say not I mean the Chechen  were saying this was people from Ingushetia and it was mainly Ingushetia with a few outsiders involved and not Chechens. Now that might be blurring it a bit I mean the Russians are saying of course that it's uh it's international terrorism and and so on. I mean the the truth probably lies somewhere between those two things there probably were some Chechens involved with the uh Ingush fighters that went in there and uh so it's probably a bit more of a mixed picture.
Yeah uh authorities uh say that ten of the hostage takers were arabs  would that  uh would that indicate an Al Qaeda involvement.
Uh mm si ih ih in in part yeah I mean it's sort of it's a it's hard to sort of be specific about that because  a lot of these people who are engaged in these sort of conflicts and go to assist whether it be Kosovo or or wherever or Iraq perhaps are basically travelling jihad fighters who look for good causes to fight for a and and go accordingly so  I mean in terms of the numbers I I don't know because I haven't seen from the Russians a a number given of of of arabs say. At the moment the last figure I saw was that they thought there twenty-seven but  um that they that they killed and that there were others maybe that escaped and they don't therefore know  the totality of it all but I'm not sure uh how many uh ultimately were say were arabs but say there were ten. Um that doesn't necessary signify that these were Al Qaeda people they might well uh ha   with Al Qaeda  but simply be ri well they're not really mercenaries 'cos they're not fighting for money but um they they're sort of y'know they have they are fellow travellers in other words.
Yeah. So where do you think it'll go now Clive what do you think'll happen in the immediate future.
Uh I think both sides'll probably take stock now. Uh obviously the Russians need to think about how they're gunna improve their C T capability because that's really uh uh shocking I think there  the way that they handled things and they haven't learned the lesson from previous uh situations like you mentioned the theatre and previous sieges of hospitals and so on. Uh they really need to get their act together uh because it seems to be that the Russian military's idea of a successful  situation is where all the hostage takers are killed and y'know  ours would be that the hostages are rescued you know. It seems to be a different a  ap uh perception of how things should should develop and I think they're really gunna have to get their act together  and become more professional in the way that say our S A S is.
Okay. Clive Williams I appreciate your time very much it was interesting to talk to you and I thank you.
Thanks John.
Bye. Clive Williams who's international terrorism expert with the Strategic and Defence Study Centre at the A N U. A very interesting fella and there's the story. They certainly will have some work to do in Russia when it comes to the  security of uh of their people. Uh Putin has made all sorts of uh  verbal promises but uh I suppose it'll take him some time to get  something uh concrete into place sooner the better.
Debbie what can I do for you.
Hi John.
Hi.
As a mother of three I'm a little bit concerned about this um this dreadful travesty that's happened in Russia.
Unbelievable.
I um actually sat down on Saturday night and cried it's just heart wrenching and I I couldn't begin to imagine what they're they're feeling at the moment but the pond scum that did this  deserve to rot in hell they're just the lowest form of of anything.
Yeah well if you uh if you have faith in that kind of thing you can bet your boots they will be rotting in hell  even as we speak.
Well it's y'know it's just I I sat down and thought y'know maybe what is the world going to be like in thirty years time when my grandchildren are living. You know.
Well that's what we've all got to think about.  And that and that's why we've gotta understand that we can't allow this kind of behaviour to go on  that we can't uh accept it as a as a form of life on this planet. It's just uh hideous to think that these people have  a belief that they can do what ever they want for their own ends even if it means destroying the lives of beautiful little children.
No it's wrong.
More than wrong it's uh dreadful.
Absolutely. Well  thanks for that John.
Okay Debbie.
Take care.
And you.
Bye.
Bye. I think we all feel the same don't we.
Thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two our telephone number Peter what can I do for you.
Yeah how are you John.
I'm very well what about you.
Uh good thank you good. Uh mate I was just down having lunch at your establishment a couple of weeks ago . Down there at beautiful Woolloomooloo Bay there.
Oh were you at Otto.
Yeah.
Yeah isn't it nice.
Oh beautiful spot  beautiful.
Yeah really .
Had a lovely time with my girl and I and uh we really enjoyed ourselves.
Good I'm happy that you did.
Mate we sat down beside you and my partner was very gobsmacked she couldn't  breath  type thing she didn't know what to say y'know to wish she got a shock that we were even going there. Anyway. Mate what I wanted to ask you you were having a beer  at the time and it was in a had a green label on it I've never seen it before I was just wondering what it was.
I think it might have been Boag's.
Boag's was it.
Yeah.
Oh okay.
It coulda been 'cos I tried that a couple of times. I've gotta tell you that I normally drink um  uh Crown Lager.
Yeah.
Or if I want a light beer I drink Sterling. But I tried that I think it's called James Boag B O A G is that it.
Oh okay yeah. I've just ne never seen it before so  I just thought I'd ask you the question .
Well it was pretty g it was pretty good beer served very cold it was terrific but I like that uh old Crown Lager and if I'm gonna  have a light one that's uh have you tried Sterling.
Ah yes I have.
Yeah I think if y if you're gunna have a light beer that's probably the best of all the light beers.
It's fine.
Okay and I'm glad  that you went down there Peter and I'm happy you had a good time I'll see you another time down there.
Good on you mate thank you.
Okay.
Okay.
Bye  bye.
Two is our telephone number John what can I do for you.
Good morning John first time speaker man.
Oh really well that's very nice of you to call.
Uh I've got a spreadsheet in front of me about all the trouble spots in the world  and the common denominator is Muslim.
That's true.
Now are these Muslims following exactly what the Koran is saying about the infidels.
Yeah well it depends how yes they are w we're the infidels the western world  are the infidels.
Yes but why don't the straight Muslims or the good Muslims come out and defend that.
I have no idea. Maybe they're frightened but they don't we say time after time after time  why aren't the good Muslim people and they assure me that there are many and I'm sure I know many. Why aren't they standing in up and uh saying that this behaviour is not acceptable under any circumstances anywhere.
Uh now these good Muslims they read the same Koran.
Yeah.
Uh does the Koran say that the infidel must be searched out and destroyed.
Yeah.
It does   I've read it too but I come from the Middle East.
I see where.
Uh Malta.
Okay.
And you know we're we're told about this when we're four years of age. You know  our .
Yeah well well that's well John that's called indoctrination and and that's what it is.
Now I'm I'm I'm a Catholic.
Yeah I know I.
I I I I don't care what anybody's beliefs are  as long as they do by their neighbour what they'd have 'em do to them.
That's right well that's not a bad rule by which to live.
Yeah but why must can't they come out and explain to us that these people are wrong and disown them.
Well th it's up to them to do it. I I have to say that a number of Chechens have uh now come out and made it very clear that they didn't  approve but who in the world in their right mind could approve of uh what went on  there in Russia. Who could have uh approved of that but the.
But the Koran approves it.
Well that's wuh it would depending uh on the uh depending on the perception you want to take from the Koran the same as it depends  upon the uh impression the interpretation you want to take from the Bible.
Yes you can not follow  but it nowhere in the Bible does it say you must kill all Anglicans all Presbyterians or Methodists.
No that's right.
So.
But it does in the Koran say the infidels have gotta go. And the greatest infidels according to fanatical Muslims  are the western world us Great Britain.
So we're in trouble aren't we.
We you bet we're in trouble.
You bet we're in trouble and we're in more trouble  because of our n uh neccessary involvement with uh George W Bush  and what went on in Iraq. But I mean we had to be involved there we had to  support George W Bush because we n need the allies. But you're right you said it John. We're in trouble.
Sydney saw an early start to the storm season yesterday with a couple of hail storms hitting uh a lot of the city of Sydney. There had been forecasts of storms but the the hail was a bit unexpected. On the line is the Manager of the Forecast Office of the Weather Bureau Andrew Trelor Andrew good morning.
Yeah good morning John.
What happened.
Oh look we had us some some very cold conditions go over us yesterday. And it just tended to kick the hail off a bit more than what we'd expected.
Yeah weh it really did it was really cold and the thing that I found extraordinary was that the hail lay around for a long long while after.
Yeah that's one of the characteristics of hailstorms outside of the that sort of the main hail season is that you you tend to get lots of little hail and it tends to pile up pretty deep on the ground.
That's what happened.
Yeah and rather than in the in the main hail season where you you tend to get bigger hail but there's there's less of it. So  in a way it's y'know about the same amount of mass isn't it but um in in the winter time or the the late um early spring type storms though it tends to lie pretty thick on the ground.
Yeah it does I don't uh I don't think it would have been damaging hail would it.
We had some reports of hail um between two and four centimetres in diameter. So that's certainly severe  but um they were they were fairly um fairly widely spaced and I'm don't think there was that much damage apart from the whole clogging up gutters which is what it tends to do.
That's that's right and then  you get flooding.
Yeah that's right yeah.
Are we going to see more of it.
Well not today um today we're looking fine for hail and um we're just getting into the start of the storm season now so people should be aware that um y'know there the frequency of these storms will increase over the next few months and peaking at about November December that's when we have most of our hail.
Okay we had last night a second storm coming through I think about half past nine ten o'clock  or somewhere about then. Is that a bit unusual to get a second one so quickly after the first.
Oh given the the weather setup uh it wasn't. Um we had as I mentioned a lot of cold air coming over us and also a low pressure system in the area and that tends to to aid the storms in their in their development. So it wasn't unusual to get another one um but the the one later at the one in the in the evening was actually the one which had um the largest hail and and and the most severity with it.
Yeah well I didn't get to see that one 'cos I I was inside I saw the earlier one and it just lay on the terrace  and really as you said it was smaller hail but it just piled up it was like snow.
Yeah that's right and uh I think some people took advantage of that.
I think they did too.
Yeah.
Okay so so no storms in the near future.
No um not at least for today or in into the next couple of days but there is some rain on the way  um for Sydney um perhaps tomorrow and into Wednesday. So um people should pr hopefully be um b grateful of that.
Yeah oh well we need to be grateful for anything we get given the situation.
Yeah that's right.
Thank you Andrew good to talk to you.
Okay pleasure John.
Bye.
You need them. Are you there Muriel.
Yes John good morning.
Morning.
Um I still have hail all over my back yard.
Is that right.
Yes and the front a little bit of it's starting to melt across the road it's melted  but the sun's just swinging around to the front of my house  and uh I've still got hail all over the front.
Wow.
But it was a dreadful storm we had it at nine o'clock last night  and the hail came down for a quarter of an hour.
Yeah well the early one the the hail was pretty continuous too did it do any damage Muriel.
No I've had a look around I y'know I'm terribly frightened of n uh the glass you can replace it's the roof I worry about more.
Y oh yeah sure.
More than anything you know.
Yeah but it didn't damage the roof.
No it didn't damage it the only my son has a lot of fruit trees down the back and it did belt them around a bit y'know his lemons and oranges and grapefruit and his apples and so forth.
Yeah well I think he'll get over that alright.
Oh he's not worried about that he said as long as the house is okay.
Yeah well he's very nice boy. Okay Muriel nice to talk to you and thank you that's uh you're at Merrylands and there's still hail lying around there.
Okay Julie.
Morning John how are you love.
Pretty good thank you.
I've still got me hail in Mascot here broke me gazebo but .
Oh did it really was it that heavy.
Yes it was it's out here in a big bucket now so yeah.
Okay  and broke your gazebo is the uh top of the gazebo glass or.
No it's just y'know one of them material ones it's el cheapo .
Yeah well it's a  el holo now.
Mm holey it is .
Okay so that's  at Mascot and there's st and there's still some uh hail hanging around.
Yeah it's still out here I c can looh I'm looking at it now so yeah. The dog doesn't know what to do with it but he's fine .
Alright love can I say cheerio to me mum.
Course you can.
She's in Maryborough in hi Barb hi Harry  . Thanks love.
Okay Julie.
Julie.
Thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two if you'd like to talk to us uh Glen.
How you going.
Very well thank you.
And uh how're things up there.
Very good thank you. But what  can I do for you.
No I was just listening to the radio a while ago when they were talking about uh the problem in Chechnya and  a lady was making comment about  uh good Muslims making a stand against people who are causing the problems.
Yeah.
But uh you've gotta remember in the crusade days it was the uh Christians who went down into the Islamic area and tried to convert all them into uh into the Christian faith.
That's right. They're getting their own back now aren't they.
It really wasn't uh ih well they weren't doing any trouble until someone come along and started butchering them.
Yeah well the wheel goes round. But  buh  but we but we can't uh we can't be too concerned about  what happened then in the crusades because we can't do anything about it . But we can be con  we can be concerned about what's going on now because we can do something about it.
Well that's right the way it is now everyone's gotta get along everyone's gotta be truthful with each other and try and make amends with what's happened before.
Yeah it's unlikely to happen.
Well you hope it does.
You hope it does and you hope it can be done peaceably whether that's  uh possible or not I can't tell you.
I've got uh uh relatives who are Islamic faith and couldn't find nicer people.
Yep well that's  quite o quite often the case and that's what we say constantly  uh you can't uh you can't paint everybody with the same brush you can't tar everybody with the same brush because  a lot of people who subscribe to the Islamic faith are perfectly good people.
Well that's the other thing when they whene whenever you hear them mentioned they always say Islamic or Muslim terrorists  it shouldn't say that they're just terrorists. Because you've got terrorists in every religion if you want to  use the religion as a point of view.
No no Glen.
Yes.
You just have a look.
Yes.
Certainly every person of the Islamic faith is not a terrorist  but almost without exception  every terrorist is of the Islamic faith.
What about Northern Ireland where the northern .
I said almost without exception.
Okay.  I know what you mean.
Yeah and sad  and sadly it's true Glen it's uh it is true.
Okay Lee-Anne.
Hi John. Um I'm ringing up um w um I'm a I'm a Greens supporter.
I see.
Um it's I'm very surprised that in these times of all the turmoil and that that's going on that everybody isn't a Greens supporter.
I see. Why do you support the Greens what do you think they're gunna do.
Well they support life  basically that's people that is the people like we've got.
Doh d don't you think that that.
We need help in our education we need help in our hospitals our medical our dental  we that's life.
Yeah what's what's the Greens' policy on health.
Well they haven't really had a chance. That like they don't have the backing they don't have the knowledge they haven't got the basic like the funding the ability to have  like much knowledge in anything at the moment.
No well well I know but what what would happen if they had power in the Senate and they could do things  what do you think they might do about health.
Well I'm sure that they wouldn't be harming anybody like the basic policy of it is life is love.
Yeah do you  well well that's all of that's that's pretty good Lee-Anne but tell me this do you think uh ecstasy's good.
Of course it's not good that's an artificial that's not life.
Okay well why then would the Greens want to have it sold over the counter.
I don't think I think that's propaganda that.
It's not propaganda you can go to their website and have a look you'll find it there.
Oh I  I'm very sceptical about that.
Well sweetheart it's there W W W dot Greens dot org dot A U and you'll find it.
I d oh yeah I'm still very sceptical like there is a lot of things that are said about the Liberals and the Labors that's  not true.
D buh that's right but I'm talking about their policy on their website. Would you like to be riding a bike  instead of driving in a car.
I don't I don't see the relevance.
Well that's something else the Greens would like to do they'd like to get you outta your car and onto a push bike.
I don't think so.
Well sweetheart you get.
They they don't want war they don't want turmoil  they're not going to .
Could could you name wuh could you name  for me Lee-Anne   name wuh name for me one person who wants war.
Well I well we we all know that we've made mistakes the country has made mistakes.
I know but who but who wants war.
Well hopefully ain't nobody.
That's right so why is anybody else any different to the Greens.  I mean if you if you think all this is a lotta hogwash just go to their the Greens' website and have a look. Would you do you think it's a good idea that Medicare should pay for sex change operations.
Oh no I don't think all this propagat .
Okay well the Greens think uh that Medicare should pay for sex change operations.  Do you agree do you agree with same sex marriages.
I don't think that it's relevant any of that like the v.
Well it's r  well well well listen now listen l  uh Lee-Anne it's it's relevant if these people.
'Cos really is Labor or Liberal are they talking about these policies.
No g.
No.
The g the Greens are. It's the Greens' policy. And they're recommending ecstasy and other illegal drugs be sold over the counter.
Oh but will it ever get it would never get passed.
Well why but  why should we but but why should we even take the uh take the risk. I mean you're planning to give them your vote which is a hugely valuable thing a hugely valuable thing  and you're gunna give them your vote  shouldn't you be  across their ideas. What about higher taxes wouldn't worry you too much no. .
Well like I've had I've had my neighbour my neighbour was admitted five times  through like by a ambulance and and released the next day. Two weeks later he died.  This is our medical system  I'd rather have my neighbour alive and well and happy.
Okay and do you believe if the Greens had power in the Senate that your neighbour would be alive.
Yes I do.
You really do.
Yes I do.
Well you're stupid.
Well I don't think I am I think that they  alive.
You are stupid you are stupid I'm sorry you are stupid.  You are talking about voting for the Greens you have no idea what they stand for   they want to get outta your motor cars and put you on a bike  but thuh they uh do you enjoy a good steak every now and again.
I do.
Yeah okay well the Greens would prefer that you were a vegetarian.
I don't think so .
I'm telling you what it.
You're going to the extreme you don't  even know the party.
I am telling you what is on the website.
Ah well  that's a lot of hogwash I think.
Well I agree with you it's a lotta hogwash but it's what they believe.
I don't think so.
Listen I know a lot more.
I I know a lot of Green supporters that do not  believe  that garbage.
Well they're all stupid too.
Well  there's no use somebody ringing up and supporting the Greens if you're gunna treat 'em like th you are now.
W wuh wuh I'm I'm not I'm not  being rude to you  I'm just telling I'm telling you the truth.
Well I don't believe your .
I know m I know more about the I know more about the Greens' policies than you do and you intend to vote for them.
Well it's obvious you're a Liberal supporter and I'm gunna hang up.
Why why uh no why is it obvious I'm a Liberal supporter.  What the hell's that got to do.
You don't wanna hear that why  you don't wanna vote for life if you sit there and say that.
Who said who said I don't want to vote for life it's the most treasured thing that we that we have.
Hopefully it is.
Yeah well and and it is but but you've you've got it wrong about the Greens. I'm sure you're well intentioned I'm sure  you really think that a vote for the Greens is really gunna help  Australia well I'm telling you  that it's not gunna change a thing. They won't have the power to do anything about th the death of your next door neighbour  but they m might have the power to encourage people to have same sex marriages and to have ecstasy sold over the counter to kids your kids maybe. You got any kids.
I don't believe it. It's like saying well if we vote  if we vote Liberal we're for sure we're gunna buy more arms  and go to war.  It's like y'know .
I I d I don't believe that's I don't believe that's part of the Liberal agenda but.
Well I for sure.
But what but what I'm saying.
Lot of people believe it is part  of the Liberal agenda.
Well a lot of people believe incorrectly and you believe  you believe.
You you're telling me I believe incorrectly well that's  life.
Well you do believe incorrectly .
Sorry John I've gotta go .
Yeah okay sweetheart well I'm sorry I mean I'm not meaning to be rude to you I'm simply telling you the truth you're stupid.
Yeah who was in power during the first Gulf War Lee-Anne my dear it wasn't Liberal was it. It was Labor. Nobody likes war  but I can't believe that people are going to say blindly yeah I'm gunna vote for the Greens because they're pro life pro life of what pro their own damn life. They don't care much about the lives of children if they're talking about  uh ecstasy and other illegal drugs being sold over the counter to young people. G g say heroin and marijuana they'd like that to be sold as well. Now you go and have a look at their website  all you people that's worth doing I'm certainly not telling  telling you what to vote and you d have no idea in the world what I vote I'm simply telling you  to be warned.
Ker  good morning.
Uh yeah is it me Khaar.
Well if that's your name.
Oh yeah yeah but thanks John.
Okay.
Uh first time caller.
Yeah.
Uh I like your show recently converted a few months ago from two G B.
Good.
Um I don't agree with all the things that you uh say but you know on the whole I I I I find that you try to be objective.
I do.
It was good that you brought this guy on who gave a dispassionate view of the events in in Chechnya and the historical background  and all that. Uh that so that was good and I expect that sort of thing and people generally would expect that  uh but straight after that you launched into a gross distortion of uh the uh uh uh uh teachings of the Koran. One of the oft quoted phrases in the Koran is  which means ih literally you go your way let me go mine you can have your own faith let me have mine that was when y'know the Muslims were being persecuted and then when they've they victorious you know.
Yeah well that's that's really nice say it again you go you go your way let me go mine.
Exactly and it's a very oft quoted su phrase in in in in in the Koran .
And it's very nice.
No-one seems to mention that but you said the the Koran says that .
But but no hang on just before we get away from this Ker  uh I hope I'm pronouncing your name correctly am I.
Khaar yeah.
Khaar.
Yep.
Okay uh b uh uh bl you go your way you go mine th all of that's  okay all all of that's very good. So why doesn't uh the fanatical Muslim let the Christian go his way  instead of instead of wanting to kill him.
Oh well there are fundamentalists say in ever religion then there are people who distort the teachings.
Yeah well that's what I said.
And and and and and and and there are uh you know and 'n' there are extra and there is a big debate going on in  in the Islamic world we may be y'know where where uh maybe you're not aware of that  and and   how how how best how best to uh counter this on the wuh on the one hand we don't w want to fall into the laps of those who are you know uh those we have declared to be sworn enemies of Islam on the other hand we want don't want you to think that really play into their hands like in you know like killing innocent people and that sort of thing.
No terrible.
But now look go back to where what I was try uh uh alluding to y'know this the the Koran doesn't say that the infidels have to be destroyed  because the Koran gives everyone the right to have their opinion  and that was the basis on which the Prophet fought and won so I think when you said I I cuh I could understand if you it w if ih if it was an honest ignorance but you said as if you knew as if you .
Well now well well now now Khaar wuh uh just hang on a minute. I mean the Koran you're talking about uh is being interpreted correctly by somebody with an understanding you're very articulate you speak very good English  and you use all the correct words uh and what you're referring to is a Koran that is unknown to people who are fanatical they you read it the right way they read it the wrong way all this business about you go your way I'll go mine  stuff  if if that's the case why don't  the fanatical Muslims  let let the infidels go their way.
I'll I'll I'll tell where because the the the the misrepresentation might occur from. The the Koran does say that if the infidels attacks you with a view to impose their beliefs and opinions on you you have a right to destroy them.
That's right.
So maybe they are trying to interpret that because you know ih is the fact that you know there are things going on where where where you know Muslims and Muslim countries are being ye you know ih ih 'n' you know things that are happening and you may have your views about that uh that to Muslims don't appear to be and you'll find that ina unanimous amongst Muslims that  ninety-nine percent whether they are living in the United States or wherever they they are completely opposed to what the United States are doing a and and and and and so maybe some of this ha uh comes from that uh you know and the .
That does but but in in fairness to me and you've gotta be fair to me  when I when when I talk about Muslims I say the majority of them are terrific people and they probably do r read the Koran as its meant to be read and they practice peace but ye its very difficult to say that that Islam is a is a religion of peace when you look what's going on what just what just happened in Russia for God's sake.
Yeah but but again that's a distortion because nothing the I think that guy that you brought on uh that spoke about the background of Chechnya I mean I I think he did a very good job.   the background has n n nothing to do with religion. Its uh the Chechens never liked Russia they were never they uh.
Yeah I   I I I know I know that I I can't talk for too long I I know what you're saying there but it is to do with religion because the people who committed that frightful crime against humanity  were Muslims.
Well well they were born Muslims but they they didn't have they didn't say they were doing it for Islam they just happened to be Muslims like you see all these countries .
Okay so they happened to be Muslims but what they did wasn't too good was it.
No no no definitely not. I you know I I would support a y'know I would support any action they take to liberate their country a a and there is a lot of hypocrisy going on about that in Palestine in Iraq and many other places uh but y'know to target uh children I know you know a lot of these young see you know women actually do those whose brothers and husbands  have been killed.
But but let let me say this to you that the theatre  drama that took place two years ago in Russia when a hundred and twenty-nine people  died.
That was wrong too yeah I don't .
That w that was wrong too but again that was Muslims that was extreme Muslims.  So why why almost without exception wherever we look where terrorism is perpetrated it is perpetrated by extremists  of the Islamic faith.
Y y you're trying to identify the uh people and not the action you see the thing that they they did the wrong thing y'know they may be born Muslim or Christian I don't care they did the wrong thing  I do support their desire to become independent and the struggle for that.
If that was uh  if that if that's the real desire yeah.
Yeah yeah but you know I I can an I can understand uh h why why they're feeling so desperate I can I can understand that too .
But you can't take the lives of children just  because you're feeling desperate.
You can't but but you know it's it's a vicious cycle no one is talking about what the Russians did in Chechnya.
No.
The whole place has been destroyed it's been.
Well well.
Just look at a picture of Grozny.
Oh okay  well the man that I talked to this morning in fact did talk about what the the Russians have done uh to the Chechens  uh and said that the women called the black widows respond on their behalf because they've been raped or family have been killed so so we are made a bit uh aware of that but we can't alter the fact that this it you want to believe that it's not based on religion that's fine but I  I do know that the Muslims are looking for an independent state  in Chechnya.
Well they're they're looking for a state and some are arguing that re it's it it needs to be a religious one and others are the Chechnyans are they hold their faith very dearly  you know it's up to them really .
Yeah well it well it is up to them but why were all the people who involved   with this Muslim.
As a matter of fact though there there's very small Christian and other minorities they do also support this movement they are very insignificant but they also go along with this uh idea of independence they never liked .
The independence for Chechnya but not independence uh for a for a free independent Muslim state. I've gotta g I've gotta go Khaar I'm not uh cutting you short I've given you a lotta time and I appreciated talking to you and I thank you for your  rational approach to it we just uh differ a little bit on uh  who the infidels are or how they should be treated but you said in there that uh  the the law of Islam allowed if people were forcing you to believe in some other faith you had the right to retaliate. I haven't noticed the Americans trying to force uh the Islamic race to believe in any other faith have you.
His name incidentally was spelt K H double A R pronounced keeya. And uh he was a nice fellow and very good command of the English language. Jill good morning.
Good morning John how are you.
Very well thanks.
Look I'm hoping you can help me I was reading the Sun Herald yesterday and in their last word uh on the back page  there is an article s about the bad blood between John Coates and Dawn Fraser.
Yeah.
And it states in here that Coates does not want any of our young girl swimmers especially Jodie Henry to be associated with Fraser now or in the future.
Does it give a reason.
It says Coates is still fuming about Fraser's views on him before the games. But I mean y'know come on let's get real here we're talking about Dawn Fraser.
That's right yeah  . That's r that well you've said it very well yeah we're we are toh but even if we weren't talking about Dawn Fraser wouldn't matter much who we were talking about uh the point is that you can't instruct people to whom they should speak.
That's tr .
I mean I c I can't tell you listen I happen to know your neighbour and I don't like the bastard don't you speak to him again.
That's right.
You'd laugh at me.
I mean I was just wondering John is it right or is it .
I don't know I'll I'll have to have a look at it.
Yeah it's on the uh it's on what they class as the last word. And it comes down there's a thing it's a rather funny um headline animal magnetism  and it's talking about Jana Pittman and then the next thing it says the bad blood between John Coates and Dawn Fraser appears to be getting worse.
Yeah well I've I've gotta tell you I really don't know why.
No neither do I.
I really don't know why. And I can't remember precisely what Dawn  had to say.
No I know I know there was a big outcry about her not going being invited over there.
Yeah.
Um so whether she came out and said something about that I've .
I know she know she was a only the only criticism I remember from her was she was critical about  being snubbed  uh by the AOC but they claimed she hadn't been uh snubbed at all she'd been offered all the attention she'd need when she got there. Now maybe the whole thing is a a misunderstanding. But misunderstanding or not misunderstanding  as you said we're talking about Dawn Fraser. If she  so she misunderstood so what  she's still Dawn Fraser.
That's right well we went to the Olympic trials my daughter and I  we were there the night that young Libby Lenton broke the hundred metre record  and the first person down on that pool deck to congratulate her was Dawn Fraser.
Yeah wuh that's Dawney.
That's right y'know  I mean y'know and these girls look up to her.
Yeah let me see if we we can get some more detail ih it's not a very uh it's not a very uh detailed sort of  piece is it.
No it's only like y'know a a spot they class as their last word so I mean it's only a um like a paragraph on it. But it just sort of stood out and I thought now what's going on here.
Yeah and where wuh when you say it is Dawn you've gotta remember  until Jodie Henry came along the last Australian to win a hundred metre Olympic gold medal was Dawn Fraser.
That's exactly right.
Yeah  okay good to talk to you Jill  I understand exactly what you're saying.
Okay thanks John.
Alright.
Bye.
Bye.
Well Jan you waited a while there didn't you.
Good morning John it was worth it I was so hot under the collar when I rang you then you did that lovely interview with that lovely lady.
Yeah love her  she's great.
Calmed my blood pressure down about ten points.
Good what were you angry about.
Well first of all I'll I'll just thank you for taking that call on the Greens. I hope that you continue to take every call you can get because these people sitting on the fence that are saying oh I'll just give the Greens my vote  they need to know what sorta people vote for them and they need to know their policies and if you keep doing that I'm sure you'll enlighten a lotta people.
Yeah well it's pretty important to understand a  a pa a party's policies.
My word John and half the people that you talk to talking to the Greens they don't know a policy.
We s and that's why I call them watermelons 'cos they're Green on the outside  but they're let me tell you red on the inside they're they have got some very strange views.
Right what I did ring you about John I just wanted to vent a little bit about the press and I'm sure you'll agree with me on this  uh the things that are coming out in the press to do with the election and everything uh it's annoying me how stupid they must ti think people are. I mean my dad v was a very wise man and I you'd agree with this I'm sure for what you've copped  but he always told me to cut everything in half that you read in the paper and believe a quarter of it.   And you might get somewhere near the truth. John just an example for weeks we had this Mark Latham was gunna give free books to s children. And at the tax payer's expense. Never once did I see it written or heard it reported on Australia has free books we have one of the best public library systems in the world.
We do you're right.
Paid for by the public's purse. John schools have fabulous libraries where those children can bring home a book  if a mum and dad wants to read a book to a child they're there at any time to read. And ih y'know I mean another thing with the P M saying that he will he might not be there in three years  John can you tell me that any leader of any party can guarantee that their party will not change through these .
Course they ca course they can't.
Mark Latham could get in and do something stupid and open that big mouth of his again and the Labor party could vote him out in a couple of months John.
It could happen.
There's no guarantee.
Uh no guarantee of anything.
Yeah and my dad always said to me John a P M is only as good as his treasurer and my I'm a big John Howard fan but my only fear would be  ih if Peter Costello became prime minister who'd take his place 'cos he's the best treasurer we've ever had and I don't see why anyone's got anything against than man I don't think he's put a food wrong.
Uh who Peter Costello.
Yeah.
No neither do I I think he's terrific.
I mean I don't understand it John I don't watch the serials I tune in on Fox for the to the to the parliament. And John that man he is so astute and so clever I just don't know who ever wih is it the press that's got this thing hanging over his head or what I don't understand that.
Well I don't know either  but uh.
The nice man  and he's a strong man.
Oh I think he's terrific.
So do I and that's my only I would be afraid if John Howard did get put out who'd take t um Peter Costello's place and my other point that I'd like people to think about is absolute power corrupts absolutely and we have every state in Australia Labor and if we had our federal government Labor we might as well all walk to the front door and open up the door and say come on in unions back to the odds and evens petrol day bus strikes standing at a bus strike .
Yeah Jan I've let you go too long .
That's oh .
Thank you very much  for the call.
Good bye-bye.
Bye.  Ah corruption absolute power corrupts absolutely. Um vodka corrupts absolutely.
Well Pat O'Shane has had uh one of her more controversial decisions overruled by the New South Wales  attorney general Bob Debus. She ruled that four men did not have to be tried for attacking a five week old baby. Because they didn't know the baby was hidden inside her father's jacket when they allegedly attacked him in Maroubra last year. But now the attorney general says an ex officio indictment will be issued and the men will be charged with the attack in which the baby suffered brain injuries and a fractured skull. And they could face up to seven years of jail  if convicted. Now uh you can't comment  except to say  why Pat O'Shane  why.
Morning Shirley.
Good morning John.
How are you.
Oh I've had arthritis in my hands for a month but I don't wanna talk about that.
OOh that's no good I'm sorry to hear it what can I do for you.
Oh no it's rotten.
Yeah it's not good.
I just rang to say you made my day.
Why.
Isn't that K D Lang wonderful.
I love her.
And what about that song Crying.
Yeah I know it breaks your heart . I said to her not only did she  inherit the song she improved it it uh it and that's hard to do when somebody like Roy sung it. But it's beautiful.
Absolutely  wonderful I d'y'know I can't sing a note. Uh but I love music I love sport I love everything. I live in a home for the aged and they're all too bloody old . And they don't listen or do anything . And I thought oh you were away for two weeks holiday and I thought oh damn.  So it just reminded me when I heard her sing that song I must get me Johnny Farnham tape out the last time.
Yeah there's some good stuff on that too.
Yeah every time I get depressed I bring it out 'n' I forgotten all about it. But she was wonderful.
Yes she is wonderful and uh Shirley I thank you very much for the call and it's good that you listen  and uh love music it doesn't matter whether you can sing or not just love it 'n' listen to the words and that song Crying is I agree just one of the great song. Joe uh.
Kate good morning.
Good morning John how are you.
Very well thank you.
I like to reply to that lady that you were speaking to earlier in regards to the Greens. Um if she has a look on their website  it might be a bit of an eye opener for her in regards  to their policies.
Wuh well I've asked her she hasn't looked and I doubt very much that she'd know how to work the internet.
Well if she if she can 'n' if she does um if she could have a look at paragraph y under their policy section paragraph three-two-one and three-two-f-four and three-two uh five it's very contradicting it contradicts itself so  so profoundly it's unbelievable buh ih I I can't even understand how it's eh well they would even put it .
Uh hang on just give me those paragraph numbers again  this is a this is after their policies are laid out.
Yeah.
Then paragraphs three-two.
One.
One.
Three-two-three.
Three-two-three and three-two-five.
Yeah um it says there that the penalties for illicit drugs okay it says you can't use um dr illicit drugs if you're a user under under the practices of um in regards to druh um court cases and w and what have you  but if they want to supply um the drugs I mean what sort of an excuse would that leave open to people who are.
Well look sweetheart it's just one of a bunch of crazy things that are on that website 'n' the more people that go and look at it the better. We'll find uh uh three-three-one three-three-four and three-three-five and uh and have a look at them for you Kate we'll have a close look and see if we can work out  what it is you're having a little difficulty understandably there. But we'll have a look at it for you. Thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two is our telephone number uh watermelon supporter this is regards Peter to the Green voter who's been led up the garden path to vote for the fairies talk about propaganda the Greens are the experts if you're worried about hospitals after the Greens bankrupt society you'll be lucky to find  a doctor the Greens are actually anti life and go against the laws of nature. Wake up these fools  they aren't what they claim to be thank you for keeping the dream alive regards Peter. Good on you Peter. Well they certainly aren't uh what they want to appear to be we would be I think  quite correct in suggesting that. Thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two Catherine good morning.
Hi John how are you.
Very well thank you.
Um look I'm just ringing because um I'm not a Greens supporter but what I have done in the past and um listening to your show is what I'll reconsider doing. Is that I'll I voted for one of the main parties either Liberal or Labor  and then you give your preferences . And you hand them over to a Greens without thinking much because you think well they're for the environment. So you give away your preference and 'cos y you know lotta people really don't think about preferences that much but they do count. Um.
Well they of course they  of course they count.
Yes and I just sort of listening to your show I've never really thought about the Greens um much and I'm quite sure there's plenty of your listeners out there'd be like me. Quite ignorant to their um their policies and such you just sort of view them as  well the Greens who are for the environment don't you.
Well that's what they want you to think but uh there's a lot more to it than that believe me.
Well I've sorta been a bit shocked by sort of going back to the have to have a look at their website and see what you're talking about because um there certainly isn't many of their policies that I would agree to and having young children I  definitely wouldn't agree to their policy of um handing out drugs such as uh ecstas ecstasy  I'm bit  nervous John .
No no you  you're you're alright don't you worry about it Katherine I understand what you're saying  and I imagine it's quite true. A lot of people have simply been giving uh preference votes to the Greens 'cos you think oh well they're pretty safe they're gonna save the trees at least. Uh but you don't know what's behind all this. And what  and what's behind it to my way of thinking is very sinister. Very.
Well I sort of have been quite shocked and um driving around as I say I drive around in my Toyota land cruiser which are sponsors of yours John.
Thank you darling.
Doing my job.
Thank you.
And um listening to you and I've just actually got quite a shock and I I think a lotta people out there are like myself. Um I'm not really politically minded a lot I sort of listen to everything I'm bit of a swinging voter so I sort of look and think well that main group is the ones that suit me and go with those and you give away your preferences and now  my understanding is that preferences do add up they can I'll actually get somebody in.
Oh well they can.
And uh that uh you know you could get a Green in without realising it.
Okay but Katherine what you've gotta remember  is that n nobody you in particular because I'm talking to you uh has follow any party's how to vote card. You should give your own preferences and not just slavishly follow some card that is given to you by some political party. You must choose your own preferences the way you want to. I mean you can vote Labor and give the preferences to Liberal or the other way round you don't have to give them to uh an alternate party. And you can give them to whomever you choose.
Well that's true but as I say you if uh what you're brought out now about them um a lotta people like myself have just viewed them as I suppose a harmless um  party um  you know you you interested in the environment I'm in rural Australia I'm interested in the environment um we're on the land  I know a lotta people don't think farmers are interested in the environment um but we are very much so and  and um you you j just basically you think well you're doing the right thing you're giving it to the party you want give it to somebody that's actually for the environment that are trying to do say good for the country as well but you know preferences I think we your listeners out there like myself might actually um you may not change the ones that have uh are gonna vote for the Greens.
No well that well.
But if you can get people like myself who haven't actually thought about it um thinking about the Greens and what their policies and having a look at them um you know they're not gonna get the preferences and maybe actually might stop a few of them getting in .
Yeah  okay.
don't think will hurt .
Thanks Katherine.  Thanks.
Not a worry.
Thanks  okay.
take my call.
Thank you  thank you uh sweet sweet woman with a nice giggle. Uh they use the the environment thing as their entree card that's how they get in the front door. And then when they're in there look out is it Gerrard.
uh s she plays. This is silver ribbon week an annual campaign to increase awareness about ovarian cancer. The ovarian cancer research foundation is having to raise half a million dollars to help develop a test to detect the cancer early and one of its major supporters is Raelene Boyle who knows all about sadly ovarian cancer firsthand  and she's on the line Raelene good morning.
Morning John how are you.
I'm pretty good how are you.
I'm very well actually I'm suffering a bit of jet lag still from coming back from Athens but I'm very well.
How about Athens was that good or what.
Yeah it was fantastic it was um I didn't think that they could pull it together but they did in the end.
Yeah well they did but that's what the Greeks are like it's it's never ready until the last moment and when it is ready it's great.
Well that's what the Australian Greeks kept saying didn't they on television don't worry they'll get it ready well they did.
Yeah and that's uh that's the way with the Greeks. Uh Raelene you were diagnosed with ovarian cancer when wuh when was that.
About six weeks before the Olympics in two-thousand. And uh it was a pretty awful time in my life probably the worst time I've ever had.
I can imagine that it would be. C can you tell us uh wh what the symptoms are.
Well there are no real symptoms that anyone can um  describe that will suit ever woman y'know there's some women can have distended tummies some some women can have a diarrhoea .
Yeah Raelene I'm losing you uh on that telephone we'll  have to try and get Raelene back. Not a great idea to use mobiles if we can  get a solid line because they can  disappear as that one has I want to talk to her about it too she's terrific woman Raelene Boyle. Really terrific and a a great athlete been diagnosed with ovarian cancer but we'll see if we can get her  back on a better line for your sake  uh bad news from the Northern Territory this morning police have confirmed the man who died in a shooting incident yesterday  was a former horse trainer from Sydney called John Morish. Uh it's a tragic story. He'd been on a hunting trip about a hundred and thirty kilometres west of Catherine  fifty-three years of age he suffered a fatal wound on the left side of his chest  just before midday on Saturday. Police have been investigating but they say there are no suspicious circumstances. John Morish had trained a a string of outstanding gallopers Uh March Hare being one of them. He'd also been associate with Takeover Target uh Clocker was another one. He's died in a shooting incident at the age of uh fifty-three but police say no suspicious circumstances.
Yes you're too valuable to lose to a bad mobile phone Raelene.
Sorry about that John.
It's alright it's not your fault. Uh now tell me uh you you were mentioning some of the the symptoms a distended tummy was one you said.
Distended tummy a bit of diarrhoea um just generally feeling unwell  can be some of the symptol simple symptoms it's not something that  sort of jumps at you like breast cancer does where some of the symptoms are are very obvious.
Dih did  do you feel any pain.
Look I'm sure that you feel unwell I I was lucky I had a dog that chased another dog when I was walking it one night and tore the the mass the twelve centimetre mass that was growing in my back  attached to my right ovary.
And that's how it was discovered.
And that's how it was covery discovered she tore the mass and it bled into my back causing acute pain and I went to the doctor had an ultrasound and had surgery within a matter of days.
Well you were unlucky but lucky in a way weren't you.
I was very lucky. I don't see it as unlucky at all I see it as very lucky and then mine unfortunately grew back and so thirteen months later I had a second dose of it where they had to go back inside and take a lot more stuff out.
Uh are you right now are you in remission.
Look I hate that word. Um I'm well at the moment. I I sort of see the word remission as a as a symbol that it's gonna come back.
Yeah I do too.  I do too.
Exactly I just live every day as it comes and I believe that I make the most of them uh and and I look forward to a future. I don't think about the fact that maybe I am in remission  and the word remission to me symbolises that it I'm sitting around waiting for it to come back and I'm not.
How how many Australian women are diagnosed with uh ovarian cancer every year.
It's about two and a half thousand a year. And.
It's a lot.
The terrible the terrible statistic is that one dies every  hours. So about seventy percent of women who are diagnosed um die within five years I think it is.
Is that right.
Yeah it's very scary.
And ih is it correct that there's there's no test for it. How how do they discover it if there's no test for it.
Well there's no early detection test like with with breast cancer you can have mammograms or you can have biopsies on lumps or various things with ovarian cancer there's just no early detection test for it. Um and that's what our research group are working on an early detection test particularly focused at the moment on post-menopausal women.
I see is it more prevalent in post-menopausal women.
Yes. Yes it is it sort of rears its ugly head when the hormones start to go berserk through menopause I think.
Yeah and uh w what do women do if they have a concern uh if there's if  there's no test there's not a lotta point in talking to your doctor.
Oh no there is you go to the doctor your and you talk to your your G P and obviously he would refer the woman if he thought there was something to be checked on to a surgeon and the surgeon would do ultrasounds and check it out very thoroughly um to make sure there were no shadows around the abdominal cavity there and and um and then it would be taken to the next step of surgery and then on to chemo or whatever was necessary or it would just be monitored.
Okay it's a bit frightening isn't it.
It's very frightening but when you see a big corporate like the National Bank getting behind raising funds you appreciate how much good they do in the community and and this is based around funding from the National Bank in in partnership with the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation  who put.
How can we help Raelene.
You can help by or your your you and your listeners can help by going and buying a two dollar ribbon from any National branch. Any National Bank branch they have them on their counters and you'd be surprised how quickly the two dollars add up. When you think about it  you know a very basic poi a um perspective we only need to sell two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand ribbons to raise the half a million dollars we want  and um I hope that a lotta your listeners go out and spend that two dollars.
Okay I'm sure they will Raelene. It was lovely to talk to you and uh I hope you remain fit and well I'm sure you will.
Likewise John thank you.
Thank you bye.
Bye.
Raelene Boyle wonderful woman and uh really been a great athlete and uh a w a wonderful personality and now helping  the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation so if you're in the uh bank and you see the silver ribbon buy one costs you two bucks but it might well be  the best two dollars you've ever spent if it's gunna help discover ovarian cancer  uh maybe you're not concerned about it but maybe you have family young  children women in your family who uh may worry about it one day. So if you can buy the the silver ribbon make a point of doing it would you.
This is interesting uh. Several truck drivers are going to wear blindfo   to a meeting with WorkCover putting pressure on  uh WorkCover to investigate all truck driver deaths in road crashes they're wearing blindfolds claiming  that Workcover is turning a blind eye to their problems and I think they're absolutely right.
Karen are you there.
It's Kerryn yes John.
Kerryn okay.
Um I have an a my daughter has an appointment at the Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital this morning  we've rocked up but you you can't get anywhere near the place. Um there's a suspected bomb in a car parked outside the casualty entrance  at the Royal Women's Royal Brisbane Hospital.
Really.
Yeah  bloody terrible.
Has has uh has anybody told you that this a suspected bomb.
They there's police everywhere there's a guy in green suit they're just sending a sniffer dog up there now they've been through the car it looks like they're gunna try to open it at the moment.
Okay how far away are you.
In the garage in the next street just across the road actually.
But you can see.
Yep.
Are there many police there.
There is there's quite a few yeah.
Okay and uh wuh.
Oh they've opened the car door.
Okay well you just hang on and tell me what's happening they've opened the car door.
And the policeman that isn't in the protective gear has come back down to another policeman under the be behind the um brick fence.
Yeah would that indicate to you by uh his actions that there isn't a problem.
Oh dunno they're bending down they're being very very cautious.
Okay so uh.
they're just about to send the dog up by the look of it.
Okay so w when you say they're bending they're they're crouching down.
Crouching down yep.
So obviously they think that there's still some kind of problem there.
Yep well the the hospital's closed. We um.
What what t what time did you get to the hospital.
Uh quarter past eleven.
Okay and uh it was bad then. Was  closed was closed then.
Yes.
Have you got any idea what time they closed it.
No no sorry.
So so w it was already closed when you got there.
Yes.
Okay. Now what's happening.
Uh nothing . Oh policeman going back up to the car.
Okay uh is he walking crouched.
Oh just about crouch yeah.
So it would appear that they still have some fear.
Oh definitely. Definitely.
Okay well we can't expect you to hang on the telephone .
No no I was just ringing to say anybody that has an appointment today please ring the hospital and have it rescheduled 'cos you just won't be advised.
Okay well we've got your number haven't we.
I don't think so.
I'd like to get it so ih  if I put you back on hold will you give us the number and we'll call you back in a little bit.
Okay.
Would you stay there for us.
Yep.
That's a girl. Hang on don't hang up wait right there we'll get her number and we'll uh we'll call her back in a moment or two and see what's happening but uh I don't know why we weren't notified of that one earlier this morning. Thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two lately Mike are you there.
Yes sir.
Good morning.
Hi how are you.
I'm very well how are you.
Good thank you.
Why did you call me.
Well uh this coming month is the uh first year anniversary of my wife's death she died from ovarian cancer.
How old was your wife.
Uh she was thirty-nine.
Tt tt tt goodness gracious. I'm sorry to hear that.
Mm  we didn't  it was one of those routine check-ups we we wouldn't have known otherwise it was there and they discovered a ten centimetre mass inside the left ovary. And uh when they pulled it out they said it was an extremely rare type of uh ovarian cancer  and there was really um y'know that they they apparently they thought they got it all but then uh after the surgery uh six months later they discovered a second mass that was attached to the back of the abdomen and they couldn't get that out and they they said there was nothing they could do.
Dear dear dear that's terrible that really is terrible have you got children.
Three small children yeah.
Yeah. Are you getting by okay.
Yes we have a lot of support um and uh a lot of family here so yeah we we have support we need.
Tell me this were there uh obviously you telling me there were no symptoms. She just went to have a check-up huh.
Yeah it was just a routine uh check-up and uh he said there's there's something there and they took her for the ultrasound and and uh came back and that's what it was.
Dear dear dear. So she didn't have any pain or.
Uh not at that time no. Um the the second one um oh even the second one there wasn't a lot of pain to begin with. Uh but uh y'know as the months went on it increased increased and then just in the last probably two or three months it just rapidly deteriorated until sh y'know at the end she couldn't move couldn't speak couldn't do anything.
Terrible.
And that was it.
Terrible. Okay well it's uh your call is a good warning for other people it obviously doesn't simply happen to post-menopausal women  it can happen to thirty thirty-nine did you say.
Yes thirty-nine.
Thirty-nine year old. I'm sorry Mike but thanks for the call.
Thank you very much.
Okay.
Bye.
Bye. All the more reason for you to check it out 'n' check it out uh thoroughly.
Ends 1:25:02
""" Here's Sharina's Saturday Nights the positive vibe here she is good evening."
Good evening Spencer.
Some good news I think in Sydney tonight as downstairs there's lightning and thunder about the place we may get some  rain.
Absolutely yes really looks good.
Gotta say your big week coming up this week you as well as doing the uh club show on Wednesday.
Mm.
You're also moving on what day is it.
Wednesday .
On Wednesday. You planned that well.
Oh I'll probably be moving for a couple of days.
I'm sure you  will. So the removalists are all buh.
All  booked  all ready to go. Yes well I still have some things up up that I I haven't even unpacked I I've only been there about a year and a half .
Moving again. Okay well good luck for that  and I'm sure we'll hear more about the club show as well throughout the night tonight.
Absolutely.
Now on the show tonight.
Yes on the show tonight uh we're h coming up very shortly we have Siobhana the good witch and she'll give us a little bit of fun a little bit of spells for the week something positive. We've got the tarot stars coming up at half past nine. We're also gunna be talking to Bernadette Newman about the spring home show that I went to yesterday as a matter  of fact and I had a lovely ham sandwich out there  . Best I've had in ages . Hot ham rolls. Beautiful . No I was doing kitchens and looking at all I thought I was a bit of a Bob the builder out there. And of course we'll be taking your calls on thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two numerology and tarot and of course later on in the program we go to Shelley Ackerman. Right across the world.
Okay call now thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two.
Lines are open . Lots of prizes to be won as well.
Sharina at two U E dot com dot A U.
Let's begin with a song. Let's uh let's play this is a good Saturday night song.
Sounds pretty good I love this.
Kim Mazelle on Sharina's Saturday Nights.
Sharina's Saturday Nights and Kim Mazelle there.
And we're spor ihs we're s  tongue tied we're speaking with Cam. Cam.
. Hi.
Is that your  name.
Sorry.
Cam.
Yeah yeah.
Hi how are you.
Good how are you I'm a first-time caller so I'm a bit nervous.
Bit nervous oh you don't need to be . What's your question doll.
Um I'm  my love life uh well uh I'm in relationship at the  I'm in a relationship at the moment I just need to know where it's going how it's going.
Okay well the number that you're in  cyclewise is the number three . Uh I beg your pardon it's the number nine. Uh you add the numbers s thr thirteen plus eight which gives you a three and then you add six for the year two-thousand-and-four so I'm just letting all the rest of the listeners out there know how they can work out their numbers so they can participate in some of the readings as well. Okay so you're in a number nine which is not the best time  uh to start relationships 'cos usually it's an ending time. But not everything will end in a number nine cycle it's just if you're moving in the same directions you're making the same decisions or you're planning together for the future then of course you go through it together . And I feel  really at the moment  this month of September will make or break your relationship and you seem to be making some decisions around that in this this month that we're in at the moment. There's fresh new starts for you there in October you've got some good news coming your way in October and in December you've got nothing but socially having uh wonderful times meeting lots and lots of new people so I'm sort of basically seeing here that the relationship there will make you'll know where it stands towards the end of this month. Whether you you're going to it's going to get stronger or it's sorta going to start to to y'know fizzle off  so that would be a time there but you've certainly got three good months coming up.
Okay.
And I'll just give you a spin of the wheel.
Okay. Oh that's a very good card you got the card for the sun which is basically the sun shines on your whole life 'n' it's a very positive card  and there's a lot of growth there ihs with yourself and also you've got s you seem to have some rewards coming your way for past kind actions.
Oh um excellent.
And because you're a first-time caller I'd like to give you a nice uh little psychic pack to start reading on so I'll put you back to the switch and  we'll get your particulars. Thanks  for calling have  a great night.
You too.
Okay we're talking to Shaz. G'day Shaz.
Uh hi Sharina um thank you very much for taking my call and I think your show's really great . You've got me adding up everything .
Yeah that's what happens and and it can drive you mad a bit really.
Uh it is a bit yeah.
You start adding up houses you start adding up cars .
Everything everything.
I know.
Yeah.
You've gotta learn to switch off sometimes but it  you really start to see coincidences don't you.
You do and I've worked out  all the family cycle and what we're in and oh this is why that's happening but anyway. Uh  .
She's good.
Yeah. We're.
Oh replacement for me when I take a holiday.
No no no no no no no. Um we're um planning our family holiday to Bali next week and I've been trying to get on to you for weeks and I was just wondering um like how you thought that'd all go I've been bit worried you know  with um y'know just hearing different things that people have said and I just wondered what you had to say.
What about Bali or about the travelling  situation.
Yeah just about if you think that we'll have a good holiday and it'll be good trip and things like that that. Uh I'm just worried like ga  travelling with the kids and y'know Bali belly and all that sort of thing yeah.
Sure. Okay well the cycle that you're in there at the moment . At your as you probably already know is the number six.
Yep.
And then you look for number noh nuv uh November September . Six and nine gives you another six . So you're in a double six whammy so it looks like your going to have a great time.
Oh good.
Straight away see how you get the double six.
Yeah I've got a double six and I've worked out everyone else's but I'm the mum I'm thinking so I've goh if the kids have a good ty if I'm having a good time that means the kids will I hope.
Oh  it sounds like you'll have a ball and Spencer's just got back from Bali.
Oh okay.
Whereabouts are you staying over there.
Um in Kuta.
Okay  fantastic you'll have a ball. Just  with the Bali belly.
Yeah.
Take some Buscopan and you'll be fine.
Oh okay then.
Gee you're an expert now.
Just take two or three packs because you never know 'n' before you go out for dinner maybe just take one or two.
Oh alright.
Yeah I think it's always  uh I think when y when ever you're going s uh overseas it's always good to sorta take a little couple  of precautions anyway .
Oh it's like I'm a bit obsessive compulsive when it comes to my kids and the poor kids I drive them mad  but um  yeah and I'm trying to work out what I have on my list and I thought I'll give Sharenda  a call and see what she's got to say and if  you've given me a positive vibe than I'm happy with that.
Well looks positive to me uh looks like you're gonna have a ball.
Oh great. Oh good.
Okay how about a spin of the wheel too.
Oh yeah I'm a bit scared of that but okay.
Oh why not.  Okay you've got card the wheel of fortune so that's really good luck and when you get the card of the wheel of fortune  for instance if you ask a question about finances and you get the wheel of fortune well that that's the turn of your finances. If you're asking a question like yourself what you've asked now is to do with travel 'n' you've got the wheel of fortune that's turning in your favour . Why I think it's going to be great.
Oh good thank you very much.
And you're as long as you're careful I mean y'know we've all gotta be careful these days with  the way the world is  but you've gotta be positive as well haven't you.
Yeah you do.
Oh have a great time.
And thank you again and I think your show's really great and you're a really wonderful and a positive person to have on the air and you're great to listen to.
You've gotta have C D then . Got to have a C D.
No I didn't say it for that reason I .
No you're having a Deni Hines C D  I've got one and it and it's and That Word L O V E 'n' Ain't no Sunshine are some of the songs on the Definite  Collection C D Deni Hines . Coming out to you by Allied Express.
Thank you.
Have a great time let us know uh when you get back how it was.
Oh I will thank you.
Okay.
Okay and we're talking to Sophie.
Hi how are you.
Good love how you going.
I'm good thank you .
Good for you.
Um yeah no I was just like oh dunno it's a bit like cliche but I was just wondering about my love life 'n' how  it's all.
How has your love been.
Well I'm not sure  like I've. I'm always so indecisive about everything so I y'know I question everything and y'know there's a new guy in the scene but I'm not really thought quite sure whether it's  a good thing or a bad thing. And I bet lots of uh women relate to me right now  so  yeah.
Well tell you what. Look. You are going now I this is I know this is noth not to do with your love life.
Yep.
But this initial of yours as an S initial   and you're born on the tenth that is  dynamite you're a  dynamic girl  and you are going to be really successful in life.
Oh that's so good to hear.
You really are . Okay so that's to do with your business and your career and everything's going to take off like a rocket. You'll   your own business or be a boss ih and you can be quite bossy too .
Oh we'll relate to that yeah.
This is a good thing yeah g you like to be the boss.
Huh yeah.
Back to the love life. Where you are there at the moment you're in you've got the number  okay you've got uh l let me just look tenth of fourth gives you a five and six 'n' five's eleven's a two. Okay there's there's always there's heaps of love it's like there's a lot of people really sort of y'know really going to sort of swoon you or ask you out all that sort of thing going on because you're in a two . Two cycle right up until April . Then you you have got so much travel you've got lots and lots of just more at more of a s a more serious situation to do with relationships half way of next year . Here at the moment what you're doing is just having lots of fun s 'cos you feel really restless.
Yeah yep for sure.
And it's sorta like you've got yeah you feel really restless and as soon as y y you sort of like you get who you fancy or they start sort of if they start to s like call you up too much they suffocate you. You run a mile.
Yeah.
You like the chase  you like the  you like the butterfly in the in the stomach feeling the  that's what's part of the excitement and all that . And I feel that someone really really special's going to come in   to your life probably that will be like a soul mate connection about half of next year and that's not to say that you c you n haven't got a nice relationship or two at the moment  so it's just nothing but such a ball of fun.
Oh okay yeah.
And you're going to spend a lot of time overseas over the next I'd say the next five years . Lots and lots of that . Lots and lots of travel is everywhere.
Oh fantastic yep.
Everywhere well you know how you can see this your first pinnacle cycle's a number five . So that's why you've got this restlessness the five is it's very hard like you may think you want to settle down but hey they've gotta catch you.
Yeah.
You can run pretty fast.
Yep.
So they're after you with that so you've got so much excitement you've you're really broadening your horizons you're just really going to have lots and lots of fun so  that's what I'm seeing there for you . And how about I'll just have a look there at the card for you.  Okay what's all that noise in the backyard is that a dog barking.
No no no not at all. Oh it's someone's yelling in the background so .
Oh it's yelling oh okay.
Yes.
Oh look at this you've got a decision between two. A d a decision between two men.
Oh okay .
Oh tell you what.
She's  not giving much away though is she.
Yes  yes it looks good it look n there's nothing but excitement there for you and just enjoy and  enjoy every moment go out  and just meet. No you've got one I'd say there's more of a serious one about half of next year I think just keep going and enjoying yourself.
Have fun yeah.
Have fun because you've got so much experience to go through over the and so much opportunities and so much travel just enjoy yourself.
Yeah for sure okay.
That would look fantastic.
Yeah thank you very much.
Cool  thanks a lot.
So accurate . You said everything that's on my mind so  yeah that's really good  . Thank you so much for that.
Thank you. Bye.
This is Sharina's Saturday Nights back with more in just a moment and from nine-thirty the tarot stars.
And of course we'll be also going across to some emails on Sharina at Two U E dot com dot A U be listening in. When you do send them write Saturday or Sunday on them as well because we're getting a lot of double backs coming back saying oh uh y'know about the Sundays and things but write Saturday Sunday on them. Okay and we're talking with Anna.
Hello Sharina how are you.
I'm really well thanks yourself.
Good.
That's good.
Um you got a great show there I listen to you nearly every Sunday.
Oh thanks.
Um I was just wondering what's happening with my um social or love life or if I'm gunna have one or if I'm not gunna have one .
Okay. Alright. Y you yourself there at the moment are at a time in your life now have a look at this have you got a paper and pen.
No I haven't.
Alright well can you remember.
Oh yeah I suppose so.
Okay well your A initial's a number one in numerology.
Yes.
And then you're you're born with the number one.
Mhm.
Which is your number one day number . And if you add day and month together one and nine's ten.
Mhm.
Plus seven uh plus six for two-thousand-and-four you're in a number seven cycle . Okay now a number seven cycle with your particular one initial which you're an independent girl like you don't sort of like to you wouldn't pick the phone up and say oh what's going on you don't like people to sort of think that that you've got nothing happening or you don't like to  burden y y you're not a pushy person that way if you know what I mean  to sort of go and do things. Uh I feel in this particular time you're reassessing a lot of priorities in your life. You're looking at what's missing in your life  and I feel  relationshipwise for you  there's going to be a commitment or a very strong s uh relationship that you'll make some major decisions. I feel after Christmas I don't sorta see anything  a bit of turbulence before Christmas but after Christmas you've got a smoother run especially that period around August is really lucky for you because you're picking up this double eight whammy in the month of August of next year . And that'd be really positive. August September onwards but we've just got like a little I guess you'd call a little black spot there at the moment.
A sleepy time.
Yeah it's sort of like hey Anna we wanna stop you. We want to stop you and take a long hard look at your life and where you want it to go it's like a major turning point major change of direction. It's a time that you feel like you're taking ten steps forward but you're taking twelve steps back. You're feeling vulnerable you don't really feel like if something you've you've got this it's like you're not full uh you're not a a complete I guess that would more be the word. And this is all starting to sort of like your intuition's really strong it's a spiritual time. It's sort of like your il oh I guess one word I would use is like an awakening so all the experiences that are going to start to happen probably already have started to happen  between now and the end of the year are sort of saying oh okay y'know lookih making you I guess make s the necessary changes so that the right relationships or people in your life what you want to take forward will go forward with you and what you sort of wanna l leave behind will leave behind it's sorta like there's all this.
Oh so you're you're saying I'm analysing the type of person that I'd like to be with I'm thinking about it.
Well not so much it's like w you're reassessing priorities. And it's just a time that when you have this number seven it's sorta like a time you specialise in some sort of field or you sort of look at who's ih the two words let go of anything like emotional baggage clutter it's sorta like you're making some endings and you're making a lot of changes within yourself.  You're changing as a person so that you're going to start to attract and we're not just talking about love life as such  we're talking about the whole of your life as in friends there's new friends there's different people you're you're doing a course you you've got this   and I feel uh as you change you're going to attract some really really wonderful friends and love life is really going to really look really good. So don't sort of think to yourself oh I've gotta wait till August of next year that's not the case at all 'cos you know yourself.
Start working now.
No but it's just basically it's not like you gotta wait till August of next year that would be a time ih these things take time to sorta sell it whatever. But by that time even before that time but that would be my prediction would be a really really wonderful time for you in your life which you'll really be happy.
Oh excellent.
Absolutely and what you wanna do is some little s y'know do your little feng shui that we talk about all the time all the little tips. With spring coming up it's also time to sorta get the gardens going  and when you walk into a garden or a balcony  uh you want to like when you enter the yard the very very far right corner of the yard put something there that's maybe a pink tree y'know a pinky bushy thing uh something pink something red. Something red and white in that area roses  anything like listen to Jennifer Stackhouse for the gardening show and get some tips that things that'll grow in Spring or the gardening shop but but that sort of area there 'n' on your balcony as well. You've got the card also of the judgement which is the soul searching making ih really makes sense in altogether with your seven cycles so I think it's really quite an interesting time ahead and I think that you'll really grow as a person and and really like what you see.
Yeah 'cos I've got a quite a few things happening with the sale of the house and it hasn't coh quite gone through yet and there's a lot of things happening.
Exactly it's that these are all the changes taking place so that all of this positive energies all that it's sorta like you're letting go and moving on. That's all looking really good.
Oh great.
And thank for calling through.
Thank you very very much.
And have a lovely night.
Okay and of course we've goh we're talking now with Joseph.
How are you Sharina.
I'm really well Joseph yourself.
Yeah look really good look I love the show it makes for a great Saturday night so I'm just listening to those happy uh people at the start of the show makes for a great night I think.
I think so it sets the tone doesn't it.
Yeah it does.
Mm.
Now look mine's a really specific question. It's around finances trying to sell a house at the moment. Have been unsuccessful in doing that but um y'know still positive about trying to get rid of it so sort of just wanna see what you see for it.
But is this your birth date here the seventh of the seventh seventy-one.
It is.
Have a go at all the sevens.
Yeah.
Unbelievable.
Yeah it's a.
If if your anyone that has more than two numbers like say you have uh you've got for thih ih for sake here there's three sevens . Right. You're an expert on human nature with those sevens 'n' you got the three sevens. You are really really intuitive. And you would actually also have really good healing energy and even if you weren't using your hands what would actually happen you could sorta it's sometimes it's like just with your words with people to put them you've got a way of of convincing people to put them like they say they've lost the track  to turn their way of thought around and put them back on the on the right track and  k it's a real gift . You haven't noticed that with people.
Oh oh I probably don't notice it but y'know probably people around me would probably notice it maybe . I definitely don't notice it.
Absoluh well you you look at those numbers there there's seven there's seven and seven it's incredible.
Oh okay.
Mm. Now with the cycle there you've got that is a fourteen's a five and a six is an eleven cycle. Yeah see the eleven cycle. Okay it's it's interesting it can be really really wonderful for some people and then on the other hand it can be really really slow it's like one of those cycles that just takes forever for  things to take place . And especially 'cos I know when I went through an eleven cycle I sort of uh while back and you think about selling at that time and and it's sorta like partial I guess the two words I would use is partial success . And once you head towards that three cycle which you're coming up to next year it just like you would put the house on the market in a three cycle and it would hih sell a lot quicker than it would in a two cycle if you know what I mean.
Oh okay when's my three cycle start then.
It starts next July.
Oh okay.
But that whole year starts the tone it sets the tones. That doesn't mean that it's not going to sell on a two it's just that things sort of take it's a slow approach it's a it's  it's everything takes forever.
So maybe I need to be patient 'n'.
Be p exactly  be patient. Alright. Now you've got that there so it's definitely going to take place 'cos a change of residence and everything's there for you for next year which is two-thousand-and-five if not before. Now two-thousand-and-five for you is going to be absolutely brilliant for you to do with finances. And that's your question on finances.
Okay.
And it you'll find because you'll pick that number three up and that number three will work very well with your J initial. The combination's quite good and you'll find yourself also with that number seven that when you're actually in a seven cycle further down the track when you'll have pick up four s your three sevens plus you'll have the seven cycle which is say four years off that your ih your intuition will just you'll walk down the street and just get vibes about things it's just all going to develop between now and the next four years stronger than ever. And I would write the word sold on any advertisements for the property . And I also would put yourself at the front 'n' the back door steps and a jade plant or a succulents plant. And make sure there's no clutter around because it's definitely going to be all happening for you it's just be a little patient in this particular time.
Okay  okay that all sounds wonderful.
And listen I'll tell you what we've got for you. We're got a w a s now how do we say this. A five System Seven Oz Lotto entry.
Let me check uh oh s um s uh System Seven Lotto entry.
Yes it's got f oh the five.
We have five of them to  give away.
Yes five was next  I thought it might've been a new .
Just give him one.
Okay alright .
You're fine with that aren't you Joseph.
Oh look I'm more than fine with that  . I'm more than fine with the reading to be honest with you.
No I wanna give  that to you. Okay that's a System and and that's coming out so hold on to the line. We'll put you back to the switch and we'll you'll get that out to you which is the System  Seven Oz Lotto by Allied Express.
Oh okay.
Okay thanks Joseph  thanks for your call.
Have a nuh good night.
You too.
And just before we go to the tarot stars we have the spell of the week with Siobhana we cross live. Siobhana.
Hi Sharina how are you.
I'm really well yourself  how has your week been.
Oh really good thanks really good.
Looking forward to seeing you at Canterbury.
Oh I'm looking forward to it yes. Looking forward to seeing your show.
Oh I can't wait.
Yes.
Now what have you got tonight what  what's happening.
I've got a a spell it's a lovely spell it's to keep your loved ones safe while they travel.
Oh well we've had a couple of travel questions tonight on the program.
Well there you go it's the time of year spring and everyone starts thinking of  y'know looking around a bit outta hibernation and. So I thought well what's the best thing whenev ever anyone goes away that we love all we want for is for them to be safe and happy so I thought well I'll give the  spell tonight.
Okay let's go.
Okay we need a red candle.
Yep.
Eucalyptus oil. Now if you don't like eucalyptus oil burning in the burner you can use geranium it has the same effect. Um several clover leaves. A small piece of red satin about as big as a p a small plate. Gold thread or gold ribbon and a small piece of black hemalite   which is a little black stone iron stone.
Okay run over that again.
Okay a red candle.
Red candle.
Eucalyptus oil. Or geranium oil.
Eucalyptus or geranium oil yep.
Mhm  uh several clover leaves.
How many.
Several.
Several yeah.
Yeah anything from three to twenty. Uh a small piece of red satin.
Red satin.
Gold thread or gold ribbon.
Yep.
And a black a small piece of black hematite.
Mhm.
Which is your little black stone. Okay so you start by heating the oil and doing your breathing getting yourself into  into that place where you have to be. Put the satin down and the  uh nice and flat and put the stone in the centre. The red candle goes at twelve o'clock light the candle and scatter the clover leaves. And then once you've done that you say the one I love and hold so dear is travelling far away from here. Keep conditions calm and clear hold them safe and free from fear. Now you say that three times. Then you wrap the stone in the satin the g finishing off with the gold ribbon and you ask your love one to carry that with them until they return safely.
Oh that's lovely.
It is nice and n uh t a secondary thing is  you can keep the um  the clover leaves yourself you put them in a little red envelope and pop them next to your bed and whenever you wanna send  y'know bit of extra good wishes or you're thinking of your travelling love one  you've got that there.
Okay run over it again we we need.
Okay.
Uh okay we've got the red candle.
Some eucalyptus oil.
Eucalyptus oil several clovers.
Yes.
Red satin.
Yes.
Gold thread.
That's right. And a small piece of black hemalite . Hematite sorry. Always say that one wrong. And uh we heat the oil.
Heat the oil yep.
Place the satin down put the stone in the middle sprinkle over the clover leaves . And then say  the one I love and hold so dear  is travelling far away from here. Keep conditions calm and clear  hold them safe and free from fear. And you wrap it up in a little  a precious little bundle. And you ask them to take it take it with them. And bring it back safely.
Siobhana if it can anyone contact you if they wanna know more information. Or.
Oh well um I haven't got anything set up but uh I might discuss that with you uh on um Wednesday after the show and I might set something up yes.
Okay well you're going to be out there what time.
Oh ten isn't it.
Ten o'clock.
Yes.
H h ha oh well th s I think the show starts at eleven o'clock I think  you're going to be there at ten-thirty. Mm.
Oh okay  alright I'm glad you know .
Oh well no I'm just reading it here .
Oh good .
Yes. Okay so you're going to be out there so and giving everyone little tips and things like that  for the different star-signs that'll be fabulous.
I'll take a couple of spells out with me too.
Good on you.
Just a couple of basic one yeah.
Okay sounds good.
Get everyone started.
Well look forward to seeing you Wednesday.
Yes.
And thanks again have a great week.
You too.
And Siobhana's spell will be played on the show tomorrow night  ah l on the last half hour. So you tune in again if you  just tuned in.
G'day John.  Hello John.
Hello good evening.
Good evening to you.  Hello.
Yes yes I'm here uh uh do uh m do you want my date I l I gave my date of birth .
Yeah I've got that yeah.
R right.
Okay you're born the ninth the eighth.
Yeah.
Okay yep uh what's your question.
I just asked the  the lady the what what the future with the numbers are and  uh y'know just things like that.
Okay alright well you're you're in a number uh how you get your day number. Your day number's nine. Nine and eight's seventeen gives you an eight and then of course two-thousand-and-four is a six. So the number you're in's a five personal year at the moment.
And does that  keep going all the time.
No it lasts for twelve months. And then when you're in the cycle next year which will be August uh when your birthday hits you go into a six cycle. Then the year after that you go into a seven then the year after that you go into an eight cycle  so it just changes each year . Where you are at the moment you've just gone into a five. So you're feeling restless. The next twelve months will be a big turning point. You'll feel like it's it's lots of doors closing new ones about to open. And you'll also find that there will be lots of interesting new connections coming into your life. There'll be lots of opportunities to make positive and I'm talking positive changes in your life. It should be filled of action. Filled of also lots and lots of  I guess travel. I guess long distance communication   turning point and it's sort of like a time that you you you really your patience will be put to the test because you feel like you want everything to happen straight away and you're feeling like oh quick quick I want things to happen they're not happening. But they are it's because you you feel more restless when you've got this particular number. Uh March will give you a lot of financial dividends because you're picking up a number eight in that month of March of next year. And February so those two months w will be look look very promising to do with finances and to do with kicking huge goals and to do with wishes coming true uh they look like dynamite months for you. And between now and then everything won't be the same it's like you're a new person it's in actually one word I would use it's reinventing. It's like you're reinventing it's like a new a brand new John.
Huh jeez that'd be a surprise.
Absolutely  That's what I say . Well that'll be good for you anyway.
We have the news coming up in just a second and we're back with hour two on Sharina's Saturday Nights. Uh a little bit later tonight as well Shelley Ackerman will be joining us from I believe Germany she's still in Germany .
Is that where she is.
We'll find out from Shelley a little later. Uh plenty of your calls s still to come as well the number's thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two. Email Sharina at Two U E dot com dot A U.
Now you can go for your life.
Okay Bonnie hi Bon.
Hi how are you .
I'm good doll yourself.
Yeah well thank you.
That's good.
Yeah.
Okay what can I do for you hun.
Um I'm just wondering I'm just finishing university at the moment and I'm a bit confused about what I'll be doing next year uh d like. I'm sort of at a crossroads I don't really know what to do  myself so I'm just wondering um  yeah if you could.
Well you you yourself you yourself you're born that with that twenty-seven day number you thinking of psychology or anything like that.
Um.
W with that twenty-seven that you've got there that's a  like and you could end up being a teacher as well they're teacher's numbers they're psychology  or counselling. .
Oh okay. Um that's  what my mum does actually .
Oh really.
Yeah . At the moment . Um yeah I'm I'm like I'm not sure whether I if I should go travelling or if I should take on a full-time job. 'Cos I've been offered a job but um yeah I don't know whether   to take it or not and. Yeah so yeah I'm not really not I don't really know what to do. Or then or stay on with study a bit more so.
Well you know  what I think you're going to do.
What will I do .
I I'm all in favour of you taking a trip.
Yeah.
A short trip but really because you've got this your birthday's coming up next month and you've got  a seven cycle . And I think that the sev see the seven cycle's the best time to study because you you really take it in it's this need the mind wants to learn  the m the mind wants to do all this . So I think so Bonnie  I really think that you're going to study. And I think that you're going to end up doing being in a teaching role. And I do think you're going to go ahead and do something in that y'know that  that psychology or something in that sort of field of the healing the medis medicine whatever . Uh  and I think that the the trip there but I don't see it being a long trip because y you are going to study. That is my opinion there.
Yeah 'cos I'm contemplating like sort of um teaching overseas next year like um in like in in Japan or somewhere like that.
Well that would work in really well 'cos as I said to you I see the twenty-seven being the number of a teacher and you've just said you want to teach overseas. Well that would work out well that would that in that case if you're actually uh going on the travelli doing the travel  and teaching that's altogether fantastic  . To do with the numbers . That would be brilliant.
Yeah and what about um like just in terms of like um my love life like my  'cos I'm with someone at the moment but I'm bit concerned how it'll all work out for next year if I'm sort of going on a different path.
Well you may separate  for a time because you've got to go and sort of do other things and  I feel that it could be one of those situations that you sort of had the long distance relationship and then it it might sort of start to fizzle a bit and then  the year after. See you're g you're g got to realise you're gunna be meeting so many new people it's gunna be very hard to hold a relationship  uh down but I really feel for you that would probably the year two-thousand-and-six would be a really really good thing when you'll have your act together and what you'll y'know a time of permanency in your life. At the moment I still see that the relationship will last  but it's going to uh wuh obviously if if you're going off to do this sort of thing that's  going to be at a distance that have to sort of y'know maybe separate for a  a short time I don't think it's for the long term. But that's  the main thing I'm seeing for you there  is that teaching as I mentioned at the at the beginning of the of the reading which is fabulous  and you've got the card here . The card here I've got is the card of the sun . Now the card of the sun is shining on your whole life and that is just so good to have the card of this . It's just a fabulous card. Now listen I tell you what I wanna do. I wanna give you a psychic pack so I'll  put you back to the switch for a psychic pack  and also I'll give you a System Seven  Oz Lotto ticket.
Oh excellent thank you very much .
Coming out by Allied Express now that's this is Tuesday night's Oz Lotto has jackpotted to a massive three-million. So this is fabulous so put you back to the switch there  and that'll come out to you. Alrighty.
Excellent thank you so much for that.
Thanks honey.
Okay bye.
Bye.
And now it's that time again from That's Life magazine telling us what's happening we've got uh some great stories here. My wife lives on in my mate. Chalk and cheese stories opposites attract 'n' little Richard 33:15 Kate Curson to tell us more. Seeh.
Hello Sharina.
Senior editor. Oh g'day Kate.
Hi how're you doing.
Oh really well it's so busy tonight we're well we're always busy but tonight just seems to be going overboard.
Really it might be  partly the weather it's pretty uh pretty nasty out there so it's yeah people staying in 'n' and having a sh a chat with you instead .
Maybe. May uh may I think 'n' y'know what I think it is. It's because it's coming up to spring 'n' everyone wants to know the spring and love's in the air .
Well that could well be  true yes.
Everyone's wanting to get some new gear and and all this and wanting to know about their finances as well .
Oh yes everybody always wants to know about their finances don't they me included .
Oh yes. So now l what's this my wife lives on in my mate. Wha what's that story about.
Oh look that's a really touching one that we've got this week um it uh it relates to the whole organ donation issue.
Oh of course.
Yes.
I see  my wifes lives on my mate yes.
That's right now  a lovely guy called uh called Gerald spoke to us. Uh from New South Wales and uh he and his wife Pat were very very happily married for thirty years  uh but then she passed away suddenly of a brain aneurysm. Um but just the week before she'd been speaking about they had this conversation about uh her wish to donate her organs. And so when doctors said that she was a candidate for that then uh Gerald knew that's what he had to do. So then thirteen years later he came across an organisation called Transplant Australia uh who offers to put donor families um and recipients in touch with each other. So he thought that that was an interesting idea he wondered y'know if anybody had been kept alive through his wife's uh organs and uh through that he met a guy called uh Bob from Adelaide and the really nice thing is they actually became really really close mates. Uh Bob actually uh was very grateful that um ih that Pat had saved his life and now they see each other whenever possible they've stayed at each other's houses and uh and Gerald was even a special guest at uh at Bob's daughter's wedding so um in a way I guess it's it's quite uh quite nice for Gerald because uh through Bob I suppose he still has a little bit of his wife living on.
Oh that's beautiful story.
Yeah.
Really is. And what's chalk and cheese. Opposites attract.
Ah well speaking of love being in the air we we take a look  at that this week um  we look at a couple of examples of opposites attracting which is which is quite fun and pretty common I think. Um this week we have uh the princess and the roughneck uh one girl was uh from a private school education uh yeah I think it was reasonably well off and had a good job and um and her partner was um uh was a plumber um probably I don't know from the wrong side of the tracks a little bit uh a little bit more casual with things like uh y'know dress and things like that wore stone-washed jeans and uh slightly daggy outfits. But still they managed to make it work somehow even though they've got uh y'know got uh not not got a lot of things in common I should say.
And what about little Richard.
Oh yes thah that's one of our spooky stories we love a good spooky story at That's Life. Um in this case we've got uh a lady who was a ward granny at a local uh Sydney hospital  and she looked after children who's parents couldn't visit very often. Either because they lived in the country or they just couldn't make it in uh very often. One of the babies that this lady looked after was uh a five month old boy Richard who'd been involved ih uh in a serious accident. Um now his condition was looking a little shaky um because of his injuries and uh she spent quite a time with him before he ended up sadly passing away. Um now it was about um oh I think ten months that she'd spent with him but then um the funniest thing was that uh she didn't know when he passed away uh she had actually uh taken some time off then 'n' she was at home  with her husband and she got the very strangest feeling a really cold icy feeling um all of a sudden when she was just sitting in her living room. And uh it seemed to follow her around the house I don't know if you've ever had this  ih um happen or people have reported this to you Sharina that people had an icy feeling before.
Yes oh heaps heaps of times.
Yes well anyway her husband actually said to her look acknowledge it just um y'know uh say say hello or a actually just acknowledge that it's there and she did do that saying look it's alright I know you're there  she just had a feeling that it was this little baby Richard. Anyway um so she hadn't known uh anything that had happened to him at that stage but the very next morning um baby Richard's gran phoned saying he'd passed away. Uh now she'd taken down the exact time that the little baby had died and sure enough it was spot on that was  he passed away.
Amazing.
Yes  yeah.
It's just it's wonderful to hear these stories. You're after more stories aren't you. For the magazine.
Always yes we are.
For anyone that wants to  I mean there's money for them people that wanting an extra little bit of income with this wuh w talking about their finances.
Very very true.
No it's a.
It's a good way to win some extra cash for sure  so up to five-hundred dollars actually which is  which would help out anybody I think so.
So ha well they'll just grab the magazine all the details are inside.
They are  indeed. Yes people can phone in their stories fax them in email them all sorts of different ways and all the details are in the magazine.
And they can even bring their stories and pictures out next Wednesday to Canterbury.
Please do that would be wonderful I can't wait.
Canterbury Hurlstone Park free magazines to win and  also you might get yourself a a bit of a a job uh writing for the mag .  a column . With a not a column a a story  . Okay look forward to seeing you there out at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Wonderful thank you Sharina I'll see you then.
Have a great time.
You too bye-bye.
Kate Curzon senior editor of That's Life magazine.
Okay the the lines are open now thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two 'n' we'll be back after this.
And we're back with calls. Call us on thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two and Gabriel's next. Hi Gabriel.
Hi Serena .
How you going.
Good I just want to know um what's happening in relationships with me please.
W what's happening sorry.
In relationships.
In rela are  you in a relationship.
No I'm not.
You're not wuh in one  alright okay so I'll just get your birth date here . Y okay. Uh yeah hang on I've got it on a screen here twenty-eighth of the seventh of eighty-five.
Yeah that's correct.
Okay twenty-eight's a one eight tsh uh eight 'n' six 'n' eight's fourteen's a five. Okay you're in a five. Look you've had a rough trot there for the last  t when you have a twenty-eighth day number . You've got two eights in your birth number there you've got the eight and the eighth uh the eighty-five part. And the l probably that was a trying time that woulda been a little bit of heartache there the last twelve months or so . And now you've sort of got this you're the in the bachelor's number. So what you'll start to see is you'll start to find yourself being footloose and fancy free. You'll start to really find yourself really starting to attract lots of new friendships into the picture  and out of these f new friendships one will become permanent in your life. So it's sort of like you're you're out of that that h I guess that black spot in your life . And now you're moving forward y you can expect action you can expect lots and lots of invitations to start to pour in now  just give it a little time here because we've only just gone into this cycle . So I'd say that we're back into I'd say that you're in a committed long-term relationship there  roughly about the month of March . Either you know give or take either side but it's all going to start to happen now  and you're going to start to meet these connections because you got  you got to realise that when you have that bachelor's number you can think that you wanna settle but it's really you're you're going to have the time of your life  it's really fabulous uh out there and what you want to do is just fix up a little bit of feng shui which we talk about on the program . Which is when you walk into your bedroom the very very far right corner put pictures of uh m married couples uh s anything representing love. Family pictures something in a red or a terracotta frame or even a vase that's red or some Phoenix ducks. Uh mandar some mandarin ducks. S ah what else can I think of. Reds even a red box y'know in that area and you can just sort of put an affirmation but that's the colours there. Gar in the gardens  in the backyard a red white those plants together  in that section in the very very far right corner when you look into a room or a garden or a patio. You there.
Yep yeah.
Yeah okay so it's looking good so  I'll just give you a spin of the wheel as well.  Little start with your birth numbers there. Okay. Okay we've got the card the star now that's giving you a wish coming true and it's a positive star and I really think that your heart's earnt y'know it's really you've got that  yearning sort of feeling for for a relationship and it will come true for you and I would say that that's sooner than you think.
Oh I felt like doing the cha-cha for that that duh duh duh duh duh duh  yeah. Okay we've got Marie.
Marie now how are you.
I'm good how are you.
I'm excellent thank you.
Oh okay .  you sounded it. Someone seems like they're  that everybody out there calling me tonight's been having a glass of wine or something they're all seem so really upbeat or  something  .
I only had half a glass.
Oh  you only had half a glass alright   . No it sounds like everyone's at a party or  something y'know tonight. Okay. Yep I think it's just that you can feel that it's sorta like spring in the air sorta thing can't you . It's a difference I think it's sorta like. Do you do you find spring and like getting outta winter you sorta feel lighter or something.
Uh.
Y'know what I mean I I've I think that I do I feel that way do you feel that way Spence.
I think so.
Yeah.
I think it's also you don't have to worry about wearing so many jumpers 'n' clothes 'n'  just get dressed that  no that's true I was only thinking about   it t t tonight too. You know you  get the boots on and you got the  on.
Does that mean you won't be going shopping then for spring.
Of course I will.
Yeah oh I need to do that yes.
Oh yes we'll be out there doing that . Now what can I do for you hun.
Um I'd just like to know I'm a bit of a crossroad with my career so um that's sort of um the main part and also we've sort of got a race-horse so I  don't know if that's gunna be.
You've got  a race-horse.
Yes.
Oh.
Just like recently. Um.
I had we had race-horse at my parents had race-horses when I was growing up uh it's just wonderful.
Oh I've got horses that I ride.
Oh jeez I'd love to I I'd love to do that again  have a race-horse I just think that's that's a lovely interest for you.
Ih ny oh I love horses so. But I just don't know whether this one's gunna be  lucky .
Lucky okay. Alright so l now let's look at your numbers there to start with you're born  the eighth of the tenth.
Yes.
Right. You are in an a magnificent cycle from your birthday you know that don't you.
Excellent .
Mm. The eight being a Libran and you change mind all the time.
True.
You're a you've got a lotta luck with you at the moment too it's sorta like you've got luck uh and it's starting to go every single day. Right through so  the eight. W wherever there's a number eight  that's a number of power.
Oh okay.
And it's also but the eights can also have like it's a karmic number as well and I'm I'm not sorta trying to be negative saying this but I'm just saying that  when you have this number eight uh number  it sort of like can be a time c can be a trying time to deal with it's a one number of balance you've gotta balance relationships with career and we're not talking about at the moment we're talking uhl on a lifetime situation . It's a time of sort of  y you get lots of rots  of rewards. It's a number of business and the eight can basically do any career like you know how I w I was talking to the girl before and I said you'd be good as a teach and she was doing a teacher with a twenty-seven  and then we get the pers the person with a seventeen day number and a eight day number  and those two words highly capable capable of anything . Having your own business  uh making a success of it because you can sort of like  you're the sort of girl that could okay go out there and start a a catering business. Make it successful sick of this move on but you you had a go at it and you saw it through and then you moved into the entertainment industry and you then you you did something there  then you moved onto something else you could do it all you know what I mean.
Oh that's good.
You've got that marketing that marketing uh number there too . Very good business sense.
I'm thinking of g sort of maybe starting my own pr uh business so.
Well that's exactly what I'm I'm saying.
Mm.
Your own business with the eight day number . It's you're highly capable. So you can do anything you want start any sort of business whatever you wanna do. Okay  so that's answered there with the eight cycle  wuh uh coming up you're in a six cycle which is  and see six is particularly good for business. It's good for love  but it's also good for business because your aura attracts and it's like you're communicating much better you'd be very very busy with family you'll be very very busy with uh business with career with new connections and you'll attract everything into your life . Okay now race-horse  tell me about this race-horse will you put ten bucks each way on it or what.
Well he he's supposed to have ability and then he ran his first race last week and got last but.
What's his name.
Um Smudge of Green.
Mudge .
Smudge of Green.
Mudge  of Green.
Yes.
Where was he racing.
Uh in down in um Melbourne.
And where's his next race.
Um I don't know. No.
Oh we'll have a go at the lark here will you . You know what.
Is that the Melbourne Cup .
Yeah w once w we started the show off once with a Melbourne Cup thing like that and you remember  and everybody was running around they're going  what  oh what one w what one woman what what happened somebody rang up and said it thought it they had that the race was on or something  that was  they they didn't have a sense of humour. Okay the the Mudge of Green  alright so w  eh uh well I'll have to probably add up that number I tell you what I'll do.
Mhm.
On the break I'll add that up because I haven't got time to do that at the moment but  I'll show you what to do with names 'cos sometimes y see the. Well ha let's do it together so other people can do their name.
Okay.
What was the name I'll write it .
Mudge  of Green.
Oh Smudge.
Smudge.
S M yeah S M U D G E.
I like it now better I was a bit worried when  it was a bit an M 'n' I love the S I love the S for a race horse okay. Smuh spell that for us.
Um S M  U D  G E.
Okay this is what we do with the numbers alright.
Yep.
Eh ry write this on top of the Smudge right . S is one M's four U's three D's four G's seven E's five.
Five yep.
Right 'n' what's the next one.
Uh of. O F.
Yeah O F. For Fred.
O's six and F is six.
Mhm.
What's yeah.
And then green as in the colour green.
G's G's seven  R's nine E's five E's five N's five.
Yep.
Okay so  what we gotta do is we've gotta add all this up this is what you do now so you can do the same with your name. As well.
Mhm oh okay.
Alright. Okay so you go one plus four plus three I'll let you do this . One plus four  plus three plus four plus seven plus five add everything up  and then get a total and you do that I'll take the next call and I'll come back to you.
Oh okay oh hang on.
You know what to do.
Um yeah hang on a second Simon. I need a pen.
Oh it's important business.
I thought I could remember them all .
Oh no.
Shall we come back to Marie in a second.
Hang on wuh. Well would you ha hang on.
If you come back in a few minutes.
I'll come back  I'll we'll add it up on the break.
Okay w what about if we do a break now.
Yes  we'll do a break and add it up for you.
Sorry.
That's okay   second Marie.
Thank you.
Are you there Marie.
Yes I am . Great.
Listen I want a share in this this horse is going to go well this is a winner.
Are you sure.
I like it . Well it's got I've added the whole thing up right  and Spencer did it w he's just checked my adding up. Okay . And we've ended up with a twenty-two when I've added uh the total thing and broke it down  which breaks down to a four but the twenty-two's a master number it starts with an S which is really good I like this it's a it's a hard working it'll put the energy in this this horse it'll put the efforts in it needs to sort of work harder than  y'know it's not gonna come straight away . It's one that you'll have to sort of y'know y'know what I mean keep working  yes yeah and well keep it keep him working he's up to the work and hard work and he'll come through. I like it . How exciting for you I love it.
I know I love he's only the small little thing but you know ih wih.
What colour.
Suh he's chestnut with a star on his face.
Oh a star.
Oh I love horses.
Ih I know  I've got three now.
I like I like when they're a part of a trifecta as well .
I'm never lucky enough for that .
Yeah I uh I I like doing the trifectas I I once I went out to the races and got I think  the most I've had's been I think four trifectas.
Oh okay.
And then one we I usually puh pick four.
Yeah.
And box them.
Oh okay.
Because then you're sort of like you y y your four and y  but a lot of the times I've found a lot of the times you go out there and and lot of the f  y'know they're they've being paying really short dividends and things.
Well my dad did it once like years ago and he put the wrong numbers and ended up coming home and it was eleh he had fifty cents for like an eleven-thousand ih like eleven-thousand dollars and he won fifty cents of that.
What did he have.
He had a trifecta . But only for like fifty cents not for a dollar . And the trifecta paid like eleven-thousand he put the wrong number on.
Oh no.
And he ended up winning it 'n' like he put  the wrong numbers.
Oh I see okay.
But the the good way.
Oh excellent.
So he got half of like eleven-thousand dollars.
Oh fantastic. Well listen I tell you what well I'm going to give you a System Seven Oz Lotto entry it's coming out by Allied Express.
Oh thank you.
So that'll kick it and and also  uh see how you go with that . I'll put you back to the switch and please keep in contact 'n' and let us know when when  the horse is running.
Smudge of Green we'll be looking for that.
Yeah.
Smudge yeah .
Absolutely.
That's it. Okay thank you so much for your help.
Don't hang up . Don't go away you've got a prize.
Okay.
Okay 'n' we've got Carla.
Hi how you going.
Good Carla.
That's good.
What's your question.
Oh just guess where am I going I guess what's my next step.
Where you're going in your next step okay.
Like y'know in life .
Oh okay.
I feel lost at the moment.
Bit lost w what do you feel like you'd like to do.
Um.
Whatta you been thinking about what's all always been your dream.
Okay I'm at university at the moment and I'm just finishing up and I've always  been interested. I'm in public relations and I've always in always been into the not for profit sector.
I can't hear  you darl sorry.
I've always been interested in the not for profit sector.
Yes.
And so I'm hoping to get into some sort of   charity work but it's not a lot of money in it I guess but um I don't want to get into corporate P R it stinks so I I just I'm not sure.
Alright well see with thih with this sixteen number that you've got. The sixteen day number. That is qu and als that's quite a  are the you there doll.
Yep.
Can you hear me okay.
I can.
Alright wih with this sixteen day number that you've actually got it's quite a spiritual number . 'Cos it adds to a number seven. So that  could be that need as you s mentioned before you wanna do the charity all that sort of thing . Which you actually mentioned. So that will it some time in your life you you'll go into a field that you sorta do s you are helping people because the  sixteen's got this this need even if you went into  to one direction because you need money to sort of pay bills leave  all that sort of thing you'll end up doing something like it's sorta like your path there with that sixteen . But in the meantime you've gotta l you're very very busy from today  onwards  . The next twelve months is is ab uh you're going to actually ground yourself and  and what you'll do you're going to lay your foundations down for the rest of your life in this particular four cycle you are going to work your butt off   you've got to n look at the signs of of overtiredness and maybe  black circles under your eyes because you're  gunna be burning the midnight oil often as  well.  It's a  very very busy time . And then of course you've got a trip overseas next year so that  that's showing up quite strong. Yes uh.
Where to any ideas .
No I I I just really I I I wish I did but I've j I just  got that feeling that you're travelling overseas.
I know I hope so yeah.
Yeah now you've got probably one of the best months for you would be April of next year it seems  you're ticking a huge goal in that month . And I st I'd say that the travel would be around about May.
Okay.
Uh now between ih uh where are wuh are we now four nuh you're making a big major decision regarding your future in this month of September this month  right now  is a really really sort of like there seems to be I guess contracts I guess appointments legals all that sort of thing's around.
Mhm.
Now October. October seems to be a lot of movement a lot of excitement in that month of October . And there's lots of action and uh you've got reeyuh a big reunion there's a celebration about half way October November so hiul so all the months're looking really good  but I'd say that you'll s you'll sort of know by the end of this month you'll have a clearer picture as to where your life is heading   and I I think that you've got plenty now I'll have a spin of this wheel for you.
Yep.
And what are you doing tonight.
I'm been at twenty-first actually so I'm just um outside actually .
Uh you're outside oh okay.
Yeah.
You're ri so you're calling up this program from a twenty-first.
Yes I am .
Oh okay. You've got the card the world are they  all listening to you are they.
No no they're not they're sort of in the distance yeah I've walked away .
Oh okay. You've got the card the world and the world  is all about like the world is opening up all  the world's the best card you can get it's opening up wonderful opportunities . It really is. Wonderful opportunities for expansion and for all for the basically  the w the world is going to be your oyster.
Oh I hope so .
The world will be your oyster. Absolutely . It's really wonderful. You having  a nice time at this party.
I am I'm having a lovely night I am I really am.
And what's  the gir who who's party is it.
It's actually a boy Paul Young.
Paul Young is  twenty-one today.
Yes.
Where's the party at.
It's in Bathurst actually.
Whereabouts.
Bathurst.
Oh you're calling from Bathurst.
Yeah I am.
Oh how wonderful.
Yeah.
Oh okay . G good for you a and what made you call up tonight.
I have a friend who's working there at the moment so I called in and um I've heard a lot more about the radio station since that so. Yeah heard this is on tonight so I thought I'd give them a call.
Oh okay.
Yeah and it's very interesting and I was yeah ver I've always been interested in this sorta stuff so I thought I'd  give it a call and see what it's all about.
Sounds good. Well  thank you very much for calling through and enjoy  your party and and. Say hello to everyone at the party there.
I  will okay thank you very much.
Thank you bye Carla.
Okay we'll check the emails.
That's right Sharina at Two U E dot com dot A U this is from Crystal.  Crystal's date of birth is second of the third. So work's going well love life is zero.
Well she's got someone coming up very soon I've added up that up. And and I feel that someone's going to come to do with  the work that you're actually doing around about Christmas at a Christmas party. I really got that vibe as soon as you were actually uh reading that out and I've added the numbers up and that's a really good month there as well.
Okay let's uh let's head back to calls and talk to Shirley.
G'day Shirley.
Hello Sharina.
How are you darling.
Pretty good. Yourself.
Oh pretty good.
That's good. My hu just a quick question I have a chance to move.
Yep.
And um  will I or won't I.
How do you feel about it.
Well  I think it'd be good.
Yeah you're a bit scared to take the  leap into the unknown though aren't you.
True exactly.
Uh I know I . I looked at your birth numbers the twenty-four you've sorta like y'know like twenty-four sorta leh you like to feel secure that four coming up ih in in your number.
Well I've been here for many years but it's  just getting a bit much for me.
You know what I think.
What.
Well  you're in a uh the cycle that you're in. I'm just checking your numbers there's twenty-four's a six and three's a nine. Nine 'n' six nine's a fifteen's a six. Okay six you're in a six personal year . You're in a six personal month for September . Right.
Yes.
That double six there is is and also you were ih you're born on the twenty-fourth which is a six.
Mhm.
I think really this is going to be a great thing for you to do because you're looking for harmony. And you're looking to feel you just want and you're a little bit you've been a bit worried where you are  at the moment.
Yes ih exactly yes.
And you're thinking to yourself I just want some peace and I just wanna know that I'm settled.
Exactly I'd love some peace .
Exactly. That's what you're wanting you're wanting peace you wanna feel settled and I I think it's really I I really do think it's a great thing for you and I know it's frightening and all that  but think of ih think it on th the on the positive I I just get this feel that it's going you're going to end up with some really nice new friends at the place. And I feel that you're going to have  sure you'll have some other friends y'know your past friends but I I do think it's a new lease of life for you and I think really if you're really honest with yourself you're in a bit of a rut. And you would like.
Very big one.
Yeah and you would like to sort of you're scared to do this but  I think it's going to be you're going to meet some new friends and everything I I you've got love everywhere like as in the sixth cycle that you're in being a twenty-four day number going to give you that extra vibe that extra sparkle to your aura so that pe you'll start to communicate I'll I I think it's going to c be the making of you. .
Oh you're wonderful .
No I really do I think that y'know that that oh uh fixing a little place y'know the new place being in to put your little plants or y'know what I mean.
Yes I've I've got a tape measure in my purse I carry . As soon as I get the key I'm going  to do some measuring .
Good for you and I got the bug too and I I thought about that when I was going y'know at the home show and all that and you get that give you a nigh I think that's what you need that'll give you a new interest.
Yes and when you stop and think you think oh gee am I d right or wrong y'know that's why I thought I'd give you a call.
Oh look I think that sometimes it just it just really you've made up your mind it's just when you talk to me it's sort of like th a positive person will sort of go okay and I'll go with the energy and a ne negative person'll sort of get y'know stay much the same 'n' you're positive.
Mm.
And I think it's going to be a great thing and uh we've got a lovely present to kick you off in your new place.
You're wonderful thank you.
How about The Best of the Don Lane show on D V D which that'll give you a nice kick.
Oh yes it certainly would he was very good.
Oh he's excellent.
He probably still is but you don't see him much these days.
No you don't do you.
No I don't know why.
Well you will you'll you will be.
Oh yes well that's good .
Well I'm going to put you back to the switch. A Allied Express will bring that out to you and one more thing when you get into your new place give us a call through we'll do your feng shui for you for your new place.
Oh good. Thanks very much Sharina.
Pleasure.
On Sharina's Saturday Nights. I'd best not mention the name of the song 'cos I believe we're looking for callers.
Yeah okay if you guess that you can have a nice uh  prize.
Okay just  back to uh your memories with that song.
Yeah.
What were they. You were telling me something. About that song it was when you were a disco queen what happened . Couple of guys chasing you you said.
Oh cut it d uh w what's happened to you tonight.
See I'm sitting on the balcony with the cask of wine.
Okay yeah yeah  yeah alright. Hi John.
Hi how you going.
Good thank you.
Um just a a normal reading a quick reading and a c c what the next four months has in  in mind for me.
Absolutely okay you're born the first of the second.
Correct.
Alright okay s at that gives you a three six is a nine cycle. Okay number nine cycle. Alright. Number nine there uh in September gives you a number nine because whatever cycle you're in at the moment September will be the same number. 'Cos you're adding a nine so you've got that double nine whammy. So it's like you're finishing a chapter in your life it's like a a nine year  chapter and that's finishing so you're ready for another nine year block if you know what I mean.
Yes.
So you've got all  the t oh r right up until the month of probably February. From February onwards you've got a really excellent time for finances. That twelve month period from two-thousand-and-five's going to be really good for you because you've got a J initial you're picking up a number one  and you're going it's time to sort of be bold be daring not sit on the fence sort of be more assertive go for what you want you're going to kick some huge goals I feel and also I feel in that time it's sorta like you've got a lot of soul mate connections like people that you meet in unusual circumstances or highly unexpected times and they seem to sort of just it's like a  well you won't even think they're coincidences you know how you'll get a series of coincidences but they all lead to  new opportunities and oh it's just a really strange you'll you'll sort of question 'n' think wow what's going on it's sorta like destiny really y you can sorta see it shaping up  and I really feel that that time there you'll really reach the heights of success and that would be two-thousand-and-five.
Alright terrific.
Mm looks very very good for you uh also  what I'd like to do is with this time with your feng shui around finances. Just in the far left corner of any room in the home  when you enter a room   and look across to the far left corner   make sure there's no clutter in any of those sections there.
Okay.
The far left corner like y'know o anything when I say clutter clutter m everyone has clutter to some degree but I'm just saying things that you just don't en has n no use for you anymore . And you've still got them all hoarded there in those areas. So just be careful there on that and also uh a jade plant at your front doorstep's always handy or anything to do with fish fish pictures fish ornaments right through the home.
Alright terrific.
Thanks very much for your call John.
Okay name of the song someone's come through on a hotline. L is it Louise.
Yes.
Hi.
The Time of my Life.
The Time of my Life.
That'd be it well I've Had the Time of my Life that's close enough.
I've Had the Time   of l yes  that's ty yes. I had to think about it from a a  myself for a second 'cos he's looking at the cover  and I've got a  oh does that bring back memories.
Yes.
W what memories.
Um  watching the seeing the movie.
Wasn't that a lovely movie.
Yeah it was excellent. Yeah.
Wasn't it 'n' y and what about when they all got up and they were all dancing and they were duh duh duh duh and they were all getting up dancing all over on the on that big at the school at the end  it was just fabulous . And that's why I mean it's all going a bit all a bit we're sorta going back in fashion to all these   things now with Saturday Night Fever and and now you've got the Dirty Dancing uh shows on  in in town . Has it started yet.
Uh next month I believe.
Next month that'll be fabulous won't it.  Mm okay well you've got a prize okay. Uh so what've we got there. Okay uh what would you like would you like a Nerada tea pack. They've got all the tea you've got a a lovely cup and saucer set it's got the whole thing how's that sound.
Oh okay that'd be nice.
Oh it's fabulous. Alright well I'll put you back to the switch you've got the Nerada tea pack and also I'll throw in a psychic pack from Spears as well. And thank you very much for the time of your life.
Okay I think we'll squeeze one in before the news and just a reminder also that the tarot stars are coming up more calls thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two and of course tr the first three callers through we've opened up three lines for Shelley Ackerman she'll take three calls as well. Jen hi how you going.
Hello.
Hello Jen.
Hi.
How you going.
Good thanks uh I was just gonna say um I'd like to wish my husband tomorrow a happy birthday and a  happy Father's Day.
What's his name.
Jonathan.
Jonathan Jonathan what's the surname.
Duncan.
Jonathan Duncan.
Yes.
Happy birthday. Okay . Happy birthday out there.
Yes. And he's a father of five tomorrow so.
Oh a father of five.
And he's a special day I thought.
Oh that's lovely.
Yes.
That his birthday there which is the twenty-third.
Pardon.
Whose birth date's there the fift uh th wih oh the fifth of the ninth  of course of course  tomorrow.
Yes. And I was just gunna ask about um how he and I are compatible.
I've only got a minute to the news I don't think I can add all that up.
Oh okay  well anything  about him or.
Yes I I can j I can do that for you okay uh five and nine's fourteen's five  fourteen's five six five's are eleven. Okay that's good there since it's eleven it's a two actually uh the cycle you're both in.
Yes.
You're the uh very very compatible cycle . Uh here at the moment because you've got the eleven  and you yourself have got the six so the six and the eleven like the eleven's a two they're very all to do with love family and ih that's exactly what it's all about there and passion. Mm mhm.
Oh okay. Actually I feel like I'm the only one that understands him really.
Well I tell you what you're going through even though the six and the two cycle are not are are quite similar  and the whole thing is that the you're the next twelve months what you're both going through is all about beautiful love energies very very busy to do with the family and of course I mean that makes sense with the five kids. And also you've got uh lots and lots of really happy tremendous happinence  tremendous emotional fulfilment and happiness coming up and great celebrations and just a beautiful time and I've got to go to the news I'm so sorry but hold on I've got a lovely prize a Don Lane D V D for uh his birthday put you back to the switch.
On Sharina's Saturday Nights stand by our friend from the United States uh Shelley Ackerman will be joining us.
And we're having look I'm tsh I'm uh you're going to be stuck with me a little bit longer because we're having trouble getting a where where are we trying to call.
She's in uh Germany.
Germany we're having trouble with Shelley Ackerman so I'll have to stay on you'll get stuck with me sorry we are trying to get Shelly. Okay Leanne. Hi.
Hi.
How you going.
Good thank you.
What's your question.
Um just would like a general  reading a general overview. Of my life ahead.
Okay. Uh thirteen's four out of four  okay ye you've got that uh that number four cycle so it's really a busy time . Uh and you'll make a long term decision this month of September you're worried about your finances too you're thinking financial like uh all to do everything to do with sort of like long-term finances all that sort of thing's going on in your mind.
Mhm.
Uh just gui guide your health 'cos there could be a few little hickups there to do with your health.
Okay.
Around the next three months.
Right.
And I feel over the next twelve month period there will be a an increase in your finances  and I would say that's through your own efforts through your own uh generating money yourself it's not sort of a win or anything like that it's yourself.
Hard work.
Yeah h yeah  exactly getting in there hard work all that sort of thing. It's sorta like you're climb you're going to be really proud of an achievement . I feel. And I t also feel that you're just sort of like going to be st in a stronger position sorta like you're really going to be proud and more grounded and feel more sec actually the word I'm looking for's secure. You're gunna f  better about yourself . At the moment you don't  and you will you will find that you'll be dumbfounded by what you achieve by about the month of I would say about April.
Oh okay.
So I'm feeling also around relationships there's a relationship that's going to end it's sort of like being a a stressful friendship or whatever it's sorta like you're you're whatever's meant  like things are going to end in this time and lots of new experiences will start to take place from about April of next year when you get a really big turning point which'll be really a good time it's sorta like a time that that'll be your harvest . And you're going to have lots of material growth and lots of new friendships and also it's a really nice time to meet people and communicate.
And now we're talking to of course Pauline.
Hi.
Hi Pauline how you going darl.
Fine thank you.
That's good.
Um I'd just like to n know if you could tell me. I had a bit of a nasty experience last Sunday and I just want to know it has affected my relationship and if it's going to continue.
Well your relationship you're in number six personal year  and you're a fifteen day number as well so  judge that I've only got a few minutes on air uh to look at numbers and things my thoughts here well is that harmony's the key to success and I feel this month of September um I know I've been saying that to a lotta callers tonight about the number September but it's really  because of the nuh month of September what ever cycle you're in you're getting a double whammy of it because  like for instance you're in a six so you add nine you add nine to any of your numbers and you come back to what you've got like six and nine's fifteen is six . You know what I'm saying.
Yes.
If a person's in a four four and nine's thirteen that's why you're getting a double whammy in September and that's why I think we're so it's it's the busiest night we've had for  well we're always busy but the switchboard they're ringing every single number's  being called tonight the  lines are going off the hotline number there  there's faxes . Anyway so what I'm saying is uh I think everyone wanting to know what's going on there but I feel that harmony's the key to success I feel that communication will be also the key here choose to communicate if you want this relationship to work it can.
Oh I do definitely.
Mm it's up to you.
Yeah.
Really. But just have a little bit more confidence in yourself be yourself and stand your ground really and say what's on your mind kih get things off the chest but the number's looking quite good get yourself a rose quartz crystal wear that if you're really worried 'cos that sends out nice energies . Wear some uh pale pink pyjamas  and I know that might sound silly but it really has a a something uh it's like a hypnosis thing with your mind when you wear those colours the pinks it's it's everything to do with pink underwear or pink  uh accessories around the home pink in the garden just put a lotta pink around and that that will get you through but I feel that everything should be fine.
Oh thank you very much .
That's my pleasure.
These experience I had that's not going to  the so called friend has been very very nasty to me.
The friend.
Yeah she's been very very nasty giving out my address and phone number uh uh for money.
Sorry.
She's been giving out my address and phone number for money. She's been getting the money and I've been getting the callers.
W what sorta thing's she been doing. Do you  whatta you mean she's been giving out your phone number.
My phone number and address.
Yeah.
And charging certain amounts of money for it and male callers have been calling at my door . Undesirables.
Gosh.
And that's caused the little rift in our relationship at the moment.
Oh look that's that's just communication really. Uh that'll well the tr the truth always wins . Comes out it's not you what a nasty person . Why would she do that.
Oh because I was happy and she wasn't.
Yeah jealousy I tell you what that jealousy's a terrible thing you you you see what people what it leads to the jealousy and it's it festers because when people aren't happy with their own life they  that's a terrible uh uh yeah I know a someone like that that any they love to pull put you down as soon as you've got some happiness in your life they've  they can't stand they love  they're in a good mood if you're in unhappy.
Yeah that's true yes but trust her.
That's what this friend's like. I mean what sort of people are they.
Yeah well that's why I have to have police here to remove undesirable people from my door.
Oh you poor thing.
Mm and I've had a very hurtful five days very very.
Have they well have they d what's the police done to her. They got proof.
No no they can't prove it was her.
And she was a good friend before to you too wasn't she.
She was yes a very good friend.
Oh gee she's got some problems. Well look it's .
She has.
Her problem and it's not yours and she's a bit she's gone a little bit nutty.
Yes true very very true.
And it's been for some time it's like she's uh the see th this is what jealousy can do it can just turn into a rage can turn uh it's a disease.
Yeah and she's also told my  the person I'm in the relationship with a whole lotta lies about me.
Yes yeah I thought so yeah . That's what she's told and see this would devastate you because see what you do in life. People that are born on the sixth or fifteenth you put people up on pedestals  and you don't like to know anything bad about them or other people I I really do believe that other people would've warned you about what she's like but you didn't want to listen.
Well that's right  yes somebody has told me.
And you've sort of buh because you don't like to see anything like that you anh really 'n' that's why you crumble so much when something happens to your relationships because you're just devastated because you just can't believe anyone well we all can't believe anyone would be so nasty but I mean you've only gotta see some of the the cruel things that that you've seen on television recently that people do in a rage to exes.
Mm.
To harm them when they break up.
Yeah well I mean this guy now is telling me that he's seeing somebody new but I know that it's definitely not right.
No I don't think that's right no.
No.
No I think you can fix this up I think it's well as I said it's up to you and I think that really get keep away from this uh this friend of yours and I mean really.
This ex-friend.
This ex-friend of yours . And really if he's any sort of person he's got to see that I mean as if you would be y'know doing doing that sort of thing y'know what I mean . Bringing them up to your house when you've got him.
Well that's right that's what I couldn't understand.
Yeah  look he'll they'll come through but he's sort of when he starts thinking clearly and all that but people can poison other people's minds let me tell you.
Yes yes I realise that and that's what she's trying to do to him.
Dreadful . Well I think that you'll just don't give up this and ih basically you've just got to communicate and what you wanna do is as well as is because it means so much to you this relationship and really if he's half the person that you think he is he will come round.
Oh I hope  so.
If he belee wants to believe in her well well what sort of y'know really. Uh is that really worth the person in your life that that takes s something that's ka y'know takes her side sorta thing.
No I think he was just so shocked at the thing.
Oh hurt hurt's more  like it yeah.
Yeah.
Oh sure he'll he's thinking clearly. The I I don't sort of listen keep in contact and let us know how that that uh that the results there . In that relationship.
Yeah I will.
Alright darling take care  of yourself.
Thank you very much.
Okay pleasure.
Oh nasty people in  this world mm. Okay we're talking with Bill.
Hello yeah Sharina.
Yeah good on wouldn't yin you oh I'm tongue tied here  . How you going Bill.
Oh I've got the flu at the moment.
You've got the flu.
Mm.
How long have you had it.
Oh about  eight nine days.
Yeah my mum's got it back. Ih she went and played tennis the other day and then she just felt crook again it's sort of like it it just it's have you got that cough that sort of doesn't come up . Like a cough you go huh huh  and you can't get the cough . Yeah oh you gotta rest.
Yeah.
Uh I I find when you're really run down that it attacks you worse.
Mhm.
Yeah . Okay what now I've got your numbers here you're born the twenty-sixth of the first.
Mhm.
Fifty-seven  that gives you a nine and six nine's are fifteen's a six and eight six and eight's fourteen's a five  okay so you had a five okay. Had a lotta doors closing. There. There've been a lotta doors in your life the  last couple of months there ending . Endings . You've got new beginnings  coming up.
Is there.
There's new beginnings  coming up.
Uhuh. When.
Well  new beginnings  I guess uh mm October.
Oh okay mhm.
October second part of septem probably more so October . I think theeh all these endings in your life have caused you to be sick. I think that really  you've had this flu and everything for nine days whatever I know that y'know I was talking about you being run down but I think that because you've y'know there's been some lot of change taking place and some endings but you've got some new beginnings coming up . A lot more strength.
Do they look good the beginnings.
Very good to do with your love life . Looks quite good. And it also to do with like communications . There's some really nice positive  nice outings going on.
Mhm.
You've got lots of expansion and personal growth personal expression. Actually you're quite creative too there seems to be creative and and artistic talent there as well . I feel like there's a lot of entertainment coming up going out 'n' and in a theatre and things like that . And you're going to be much more optimistic and th enthusiastic so  that's what I'm sort of feeling ahead.
Uh yeah that's good .
Yeah . Get yourself well put a picture of yourself in a green frame if it g if it goes on for too long. And little herb gardens around alrays always good for health.
Okay. Okay and here's that time also we've got three special lines now we're going to open up and I'm r written a c colour . Yeah there it is hang on.
Pass me that colour.
Think about this colour this is y testing your psychic abilities. Okay here it is we're going to r  write that down.  There you are. Now.
You even doing your own sound effects now.
Yep  okay.
The colour oh.
Oh don't say the colour. Alright so  call through now call through now. Thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two with that colour. And you have got yourself a Nerada tea pack and a psychic pack.
Okay and just quickly before we get back to calls a bit of fun bit of fun with the intuition and if you didn't get through write the colour uh 'cos I mean it's all practising to see how good you are. Okay Victoria your colour.
Hello I thought it was yellow.
Sorry. Uh who have we got have we got another one.
Linda.
Linda.
Yeah hi. I was gunna say yellow too.
Sorry. Paul.
Oh Paul. Oh you threw me hang on there we go.
Paul.
Goodo yeah.
Yeah what's your colour.
Purple.
Ooh sorry.
Okay.
One more I guess . Oh well they'll go through them all  Patty.
Hi pink.
Sorry.
Okay shall we do one more.
Okay one more. Cathy.
Hi is it blue.
You've got it.
Congratulations did you think  about it straight away.
I thought of it as soon as you said it I'm  my way out my way home from work  and I thought oh blue so I'm kind of fumbling around for the phone and y'know.
Well you know what I was thinking  of blue I was thinking about a pool.
Oh really  I was thinking about.
The colours of a pool . 'Cos I went to the home show the other day and I was looking at all these pools out there and I had the colours . And you put ih bluh  and I thought blue  will be the colour.
Yeah.
Alright darling  well you've got yourself a nice theh they're beautiful these Nerada tea packs they're a great big box and all these  different sets of teas and and  there's a cup and saucer set and there's uh oh there's just all these goodies inside it's got like all and coming out by  Allied Express. And also a psychic pack as well so thanks for calling through thanks for being psychic.
Thank you very much I appreciate it thank you.
Thank you and you're going back to the switch don't hang up.
It's a little bit of fun isn't it  we're all kids and and I think it it gives you little bit of practice of your intuition for th if you don't get through you still have a go.
She was good.
As well absolutely Loretta hi.
Oh hello.
Hello.
I was just wondering if you could tell me um  in April of two-thousand-and-three  um my husband his family were involved in a big explosion and  my in-laws were killed and my husband was very seriously injured. Now he's still in ho he's still undergoing therapy  overseas. Now  what's going to happen with our relationship because I'm really worried about it. I mean we've been apart for so long.
Oh gee this is a tricky one this one I I'm really not to talk about anything to do with health on the program oh  the poor   this has been terrible . No I know this is  this is terrible for you darling. How are you how are you standing up.
I'm not doing very well at the moment.
How long's it been since you've seen him.
Um I saw him at c at Christmas.
You've seen him at Christmas.
Yeah.
Okay. I'm.
So it's still a long time now.
Yeah sure. So where did you see him at Christmas where w did you go there or.
Yeah I went there yeah.
You went over there.
Yeah.
Okay you thinking about going back over there.
I can't afford it at the moment no.
Okay. And what about his injuries what sort of injursh injuries has he got.
He's got hip injuries leg injuries and injuries  of the arm and the shoulders.
Is there a way with what he's actually doing can he like has he lived in Australia was he .
He has yeah yeah.
His episode that's oke so  basically is the only reason he's over there is because of the health.
Yep.   to get him over back here and we can't at the moment.
Sorry.
We can't get him back here.
You can't get him back here.
No ih we we've tried with medivac and with the ambulance and everything and we can't at the moment.
Well is there there must be some way that you can a actually get some sorta help. Have you tried I mean all the different avenues.
Yeah I've tried everything and at the moment he just falls between  like little gaps every when.
Sorry what was that.
He falls between im  between gaps so like he doesn't  he he can't go between like uh  not sure if I can explain. He can't the medivac won't evacuate him because it's been too long.
Mm.
And  then  look he he just can't do it.
Oh this is a terrible situation  for you love. Alright well look I tell you what this is uh way out of uh l I guess way out of of  my league really here on the show and I've only I mean this is something this is a more serious   than I can answer in two or three minutes and I wouldn't like to give you the wrong information . I can what I will do I'll look at your numbers and let's just sorta see how how you're sorta spanning out for  the next twelve months and really I think this is there's y'know there's some probably there must be some uh higher people than myself to actually y'know get yourself some information  on on what to do here  y'know what I mean I'm a little bit stuck to be honest . Um li I'm just a numerologist uh okay well I'll just look at the numbers here with the eighteen you're born the eighteenth of the tenth. Nine and one is ten gives you a one and a six is a seven so you're going through some trying times which I I don't  need to tell you that. You are in a number seven  cycle and the seven but the the thing is the seven cycle is very spiritual. And the seven cycle it's whether you get a choice it's whether to be selfish about yourself think me me me me me and I'm not saying that's you I'm just  sorta saying letting the listeners know about  seven or it's a time that you'll get a situation that comes into your life and it sort of tests your strength and your faith and that's exactly what I think's happening here with yourself it's testing your strength it's testing your faith. Now a magazine that I write for called That's Life magazine . There's so many stories in there of people getting back together after you you would never believe some of the stories that you actually read like they were separated for twenty years and they went through all this all this  y'know heartache 'n' 'n' different  situations from yourself obv obviously but but they got back together. And this seven cycle for you sure really praying a lot and I think that really pray prayer would be a a good thing. Saying y y'know your prayers . And also I think  that you focus  on being together  and y where there's a will there wuh there's a way because the following year it's goih it's not goih I don't sorta see it being y'know that that quick it's gunna be a long drawn out thing but  I feel that that my gut tells me that you'll be together next year.
Oh.
But it that would be that's my gut  and that would be in the s I'd say after the second part of next year but I really y'know I think this is a little bit not really what I can do on the on the air in cuh s such a short time but I've  just done the best I could  for you. And I wonder who who would you suggest what sort of asso people  out there that we could actually uh talk to. Would there  there must be like Salvation Army or or someone that must have some sort of.
Mm look I've I've spoken to people from the ambulance 'n'.
Why don't you try . Yeah well.
And no one can do anything.
Mm.
It's I've uh I think the one thing is that I've left it too late.
Well that's what I'm sorta seeing with the  numbers there. So what I would suggest is y'know really prayer because  often if you preh you pray long enough you they'll be answered if they're needed to be answered and also uh get the necessary like try 'n' perhaps you could ring the Salvation Army or whatever and  just get some y'know there must be someone out there that can help you . That's li maybe even listening to this program. What abou the local M P.
Yeah I might try that.
There's an election coming up.
Yes that's right.
You know there's elections coming up  so see what you can do darl.
Okay thank you very much.
Okay hope I c I was able but honestly your your numbers do look very trying but coming out a winner.
Okay thank you very much.
God bless you.
Oh sounds terrible what some people  going through isn't it.
This is Sharina's Saturday Nights uh  still plenty of time to call. The number's thirteen-thirteen-thirty-two also uh we'll give some details soon of the Canterbury Hurlstone Park R S L club show which is coming up on Wednesday. I've gotta say that has happened so quickly. I remember just a couple of weeks back it was it felt like months away and suddenly.
Look I I can't wait to meet everybody out there  at the club. That's uh I'll be out there at ten o'clock. Ten-thirty I I think the show starts at eleven I think I'm getting there at ten ten t oh the doors open at ten-thirty that's right. Ten-thirty so come along out there and don't forget That's Life's there if you wanna put a story in there 'n' and uh bring or you want some reads to to come along and bring some photos as well and we'll be doing readings on the day.
What were you saying before as well put your date of birth like put a put a sticker on.
Oh I'm just saying that  because it's easier if I'm walking around they can just stick it on. They don't have to write the year you can just write sixth of the sixth of October or something like that so I can just walk around and do do a lot more readings.
Here's June.
G'day June.
Hi Sharina.
How you going.
I'm absolutely fabulous.
Oh how w positive are you. What's happened why are you fabulous.
Um because I've had you're not allowed to call them prowlers anymore you they call they're intruders. And I've got over it.
What happened.
Two days.
Prowlers.
Yeah.
Like a burglar.
You're not allowed to call them prowlers anymore what.
Yeah you can call them intruders.
Why aren't you allowed to call them prowlers anymore.
Oh well that's the legal firm.
Okay. Wuh.
And I've got over it.
Yes.
Yes. And I'd like to know a little bit  about what's going to happen to me. I'm sorry in love with a man.
Mm.
Besotted I am.
Ooh.
Oh well you know.
Where'd you meet him.
I've known him uh a long long time. Through racing.  But he's.
W what sort of racing.
Horse.
Oh I had a hoh a a girl on tonight that's bought a race-horse.
Yes I know I heard that.
Wasn't she fabulous.
Yes. I had one. It's name was Virgin Gleam work that out.
Mm oh not at this time of the night . Okay yes okay so so you met at through you had an interest in racing.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
He's fifteen years  younger than I am.
Good for you. You must look a lot bit of a spunk do you.
Uh no.
Oh come on.
Uh.
Come on . Twenty-fourth of the second.
Yes.
Okay no but that's flattering. That's flattering to have uh a younger man.
No.  I don't know whether he's. He's uh the twelfth of the first.
Yeah. So w whatta you wanna know.
Have I got anywhere near a chance.
Okay. You're born the twenty-fourth of the second.
Mhm.
Alright that gives you six seven eight six and eight's fourteen's a five  you're coming into a six cycle you're coming into a relationship next year is a relationship number 'cos you're a twenty-four which is six you you're going into a six cycle  looks very good two-thousand-and-five sees you in a committed relationship. Okay his numbers there twelve three four four and six is a one  uh two. Numbers are compatible. Number's quite compatible you've got a lot of interest in common.
Yes absolutely.
Absolutely  and you yourself are also uh very positive and you are feeling really confident and I feel really that you have got a lotta happiness coming up tremendous emotional fulfilment. You've also got yourself uh you're kicking a goal around about that month of.
Myself personally.
Yeah you're you're kicking some really good goals around about that month of December Jan and Feb those three. Hang on  just setting up something here just a sec Jan yeah Jan Jan Feb and  yes that's December Jan Feb okay and also I just get this really strong feel  that yellow to put some yellow flowers around your home for very lucky for finances for you.
I've got yellow daisies at um out the front.
Mm well it's lucky it's bringing you look.
Yeah.
So that's good. No I get a good feel about this. I get a good feel about you being happy in a relationship.
Is that happy.
Absolutely looks good.
So I've got something to look forward to.
You've got a lovely year two-thousand  two-thousand-and  yeah two-thousand-and-five's your year darling. It really is. Looks really good. Absolutely. I'll put you uh I'll put you back to the switch and give you a psychic pack  I've got one left for the night to to give away and you've got it. There you go that'll kick your luck off.
Oh I love  you.
I know .
Do you know where I come from.
Where.
Deniloquin.
Where's that.
Uh down in the very very southern Riverina.
Border.
Really.
On the border of uh  New South Wales and Victoria.
You get the show clear down there.
No.
Oh okay.
I have I have a no you g we don't get it clear. But uh yep I've got something that can get me to you. Which is fabulous.
Oh okay . Alright well thanks very much darling for calling through we'll put you back to the switch.
Jeez they're coming from everywhere tonight.
Bathurst yeah.
That's it now Deniloquin uh hi to you if you're listening in the uh regional centres uh this is Sharina's Saturday Nights uh we will take a break and then uh coming up a little later as well we'll check the numoscope which involves uh your.
Day numbers  if you're into numerology. Mhm.
Okay that's on the way. Sharina's Saturday Night.
"Ends 1:32:23.1"""
""" Good morning and welcome to another Two G B weekend it is October the twenty-third it is good to be with you. My name's Luke Bona and Linda Ross is in the garden and our lines are open on one-three-one-eight-seven-three that's the telephone number Two G B dot com if you'd like to send Linda an email and a few have come through during the week Linnie so I'll let you get to work on that."
Oh thank you Luke.
Between now and nine good morning sunshine.
Good morning you how are you.
Fantas.
Good morning everyone welcome to the Garden Clinic program on 2 G B it's lovely to have your company with us this morning and we're going into the garden where it's nice and peaceful and quiet and lovely.
And wet.
And wet  sopping ih fa in fact absolutely so wet out there isn't it wonderful. And if anyone complains about it disturbing a a function or an event this afternoon  naughty .
They will get a.
Big smacks . Absolutely incredible amounts of rain I hope your garden's looking gorgeous. Mine certainly is I'm sure it's grown about five inches over the last week wonderful rain in Sydney and uh and throughout the suburbs. Absolutely terrific we've got a full board of calls but of course you if you wanna ring in one-three-one-eight-seven-three lots of prizes to give away today as well lots of little gardening surprises so stay tuned we've got our lucky member's prize a g really good prize today Yates Pest Oil which I think always comes in handy and let's go to Anne at Bradbury good morning.
Good morning Linda and Luke. Um I'm ringing about an azalea that we've got it's very healthy it's just finishing flowering and it's been absolutely beautiful but the my question's very specific the previous owners of the house had one of those succulent plants and it was planted very close to the azalea and we've just got rid of that in the last few weeks and so the azalea's very stunted on that side. So we're wondering  not just oh how to prune it anyway but how to p encourage that side to recover and  prune it so it looks less lopsided or what we should be doing.
Okay well I would just prune it equally all over  and not touch that side.
Oh okay.
The extra sunlight and space that it now has because you've removed the succulent will encourage the growth on that side anyway.
Started to all.
Exactly and it might take two two years or three years to uh equal out uh but that's really all you can do and of course um spraying or watering with the uh seaweed solutions  whether you choose Maxicrop Seasol or any of the other seaweeds on the market I'm.
We've got the Maxicrop.
Beautiful  well that's excellent in fact Maxicrop's terrific.
But how much do you prune where do you prune down to ab.
Well I like to just prune ih depending on the bush of course um a well pruned and well maintained bush should only need y y'know two or three inches all over  basically the flowerheads.
Oh okay that's what  we weren't sure about we  we didn't want to cut it drastically and discover that was the wrong thing to do.
You can prune drastically don't get me wrong  if something's been let go a cam an azalea is looking completely outright freaky cam  y'know sometimes it gets out of control . You can prune them back hard but no in your case um a short back and sides Anne for you a like  a boy's haircut.
Okay thanks for that.
Thank you.
Have a nice day.
You too good bye.
Bye.
Hello Iris.
Good morning Linda and Luke. Um we've got a vegie patch which we gave a rest this year f from the winter vegies . We planted annuals um petunias nasturtiums and pansies . And also Mother's Day flowers I can't remember the name
chrysanthemums.
Yes chryslyha  chrysanthemums.
Yeah. But we wanna put the vegies back in in the winter can we dig these over not the chrysanthemums but the others.
Um.
Um or should we pull them up and put them in the um compost bin which is best.
The latter . Put them put them in the p compost bin  if they were legumious  for example legumes like peas  beans  or anyth yeah anything that y'know fixes nitrogen . Uh like pea-shaped flowers  then I would definitely um build it into the soil . But with those annuals I would just put them into the compost and let them compost down.
Compost down with the chrysanthemums 'cos they would keep going could we dig them up and move them and what time of the year is the best time of the year.
Well you could do that now  I suppose  yes it's such a lovely w week really  uh we're getting such nice m wuh mild weather I know it's gunna heat up and today will be quite warm . But uh uh I imagine from looking at the weather forecast  but uh yes chrysanthemums are perennials  uh and they do flower in in uh for yuh in Autumn for  Mother's Day  uh and so moving it now is really at the beginning of its life cycle  if you think about yeah the 'n' y y'know y you you'd have a good success rate if you moved it.
Okay thank you very much.
My pleasure Iris . Good luck  that sounds lots of fun converting  a flower patch into a vegie patch.
She's got a big day ahead a fun day  twelve minutes past six shall we go to Greg.
Let's go to Greg. Good morning.
Yes good morning luh Linda and Luke uh I was just wondering if you could help me I have a plum tree. Um and I would like to spray it but I don't know what to uh spray it with I don't want to use chemicals.
Right good well that's great then no spraying  what what would you want to spray it against what are you getting with your plum tree  how.
Yeah fruit fly.
Well that's fine you don't have to spray with um to prevent floo fruit fly . When the um plums are starting.
Yes.
Then you just put a fruit fly dak pot in the tree.
A dak pot.
A dak pot  um and you use some insect killer uh uh there's a one on the market called um uh basically I just think it's called in in fruit fra fruit fly insect killer  and you mix a few little drops of that um into um vegemite and honey  and you put that into uh a dak pot or which is duh y'know just a a plastic drink container  um with some holes and and um some plugs around the outside just so the um uh the fruit fly has an entrance to get in  now the the sweetness of that mix attracts the fruit fly and then the the few drops you could just use the fr um y'know that if you wanted to do an organic method  just the the vegemite and the honey or peanut butter mixed in together  because they usually can't get out. They usually feed themselves . Um but if you want to make it a little bit more potent you could just add a few drops of that fruit fly um uh uh ih in insecticide in there.
Oh okay thanks a lot for that.
No worries no spraying nice and easy and safe.
Okay thanks a lot.
Thank you Greg.
Thank you goodbye.
Bye-bye  and that can be done of course with all fruit. Sorry darling . Peaches plums apples uh or anything that gets the fruit fly you can put the fruit fly dak pots in.
Uh I was about to say we'll take a break uh the you're right about the weather today Linda you've been listening very carefully  mainly sunny in Sydney's forecast today and a high of twenty-six degrees so a bit warmer . Uh Liverpool twenty-nine and Richmond and Penrith thirty  today  it's mainly sunny. Now Sunday few afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Sydney sixteen to twenty-three tomorrow so it will cool off so more showers on the way on Sunday but today should be mainly sunny a terrific day.
Do you want me to tell you a little secret.
Okay.
Just quickly. Tomorrow is dad's birthday.
Oh really.
Yes.
And he's coming in.
He's coming in.
Oh.
We'll bake a cake.
Taking calls in the Garden Clinic with Luke and Linda. Jenny from Kurrajong good morning.
Good morning to you. I've been desperately waiting for Saturday morning so I could  phone you and find out the answer to my problem.
Oh I'm so glad we can be of help.
I have started a garden completely from scratch and now my vegetable garden I've just started doing and um I've thought I've fed the soil very well and done all the right things I'm trying to go sort of organic.
Good girl where are you in Kurrajong.
I'm in Cedar Ridge ro.
Oh I know that very well . I used to live on East Kurrajong Road.
Oh okay yes. Uh.
A hard climate up there isn't it. Has it  been raining up there uh this week.
Oh we've had the most incredible rain  absolutely.
And the dams filling are they.
Well the dams all around. As I drive I can hardly look at the road I just  look at all the dams and they actually over so many are overflowing.
Wonderful news.
It's I've I've only been up here about eighteen months but it's just amazing.
It's beautiful I was up there during the drought and it was really depressing and the fires actually that that the fires that Christmas.
Yeah  well we weren't here for the fires but I'm looking at one of my trees here it's must be about oh thirty metres high and there's it's  black right to the top.
Yes.
So.
Well we lost a couple of houses in my road on that uh on that terrible Christmas. Um but I know a lot of them have been rebuilt and a lot of families starting from scratch but it's such a lovely community up there.
Oh it is. It's.
So your organic vegie patch . You're starting from scratch.
Actually growing in in polys in broccoli boxes 'cos you know what the soil's like  up here so.
Well the good news uh is up there you can get all of that horse manure.
Yes I I I get a lot of the stuff and I get sheep manure and everything like that .
That's what I grew my vegie patch out of when I was up there . Basically completely cor uh well rotted horse manure.
Okay. Now my problem is I've put in these little lettuce seedlings and they're only probably three inches high and I've only had planted them out about three weeks ago  but they're bolting to  seed.
That's because.
What have I done wrong.
Lettuce is really a cool climate crop.
Ah.
Which means that they're much better over autumn and winter than spring and summer. And because we had that really hot weather before we had the rain y'know those  thirty plus days. The sih um really hot weh weather uh induce lettuce to go straight to seed. Very very quickly so it's much better I know it's weird it I always  find the irony . The irony of the situation is that lettuce  you eat in summer in summer  but in fact it's really hard to grow in summer because if it's in a full sun position it will always bolt. Bolt  to seed which I love because it does bolt to seed it just elongates and off you go . So other.
three inches high.
Yep exactly  it's so it's uh it's the irony of the gardening world so um.
Put some shade cloth over it.
Uh well uh in a shady sp a shadier spot  but it's the heat is going to do it too.
next to water tank so it's sort of half shade you know so.
Yeah it I mean lettuce we m I say we dad had the best crop of lettuce and it's just at the end now uh of the uh uh he had uh he had seriously ten different types of lettuce I mean the types of wonderful lettuce you can get these days is just terrific  but I have to say he planted it in in uh winter. And it was the beautiful winter crop right through the cooler months um and now um in the vegie patch we should really be concentrating on all the Mediterranean vegetables uh basically um capsicum eggplant and um tomatoes zucchini and squash are all terrific. Now with the lettuce or the um the leafy vegetables concentrate on rocket. And um the rainbow chard spinach and things like oh y'know all the herbs . 'Cos I make very herby salads in summer because the herbs do quite well. Basil and all of those sorts of things . But get them in now get all those herbs in now because planting them any later into the hot weather into summer and again they'll bolt to seed.
Yes now I've got all those herbs in I ha I have it all that and I was thinking of trying to have my vegetables y'know all through the summer my own stuff so this has put paid to my theory.
Yes . Get a good guh um vegetable book I tell you what my absolute oh bible is a book called The Complete Book of Vegetables Herbs and Fruit. Uh it's absolutely wonderful it's Cameron House is the publisher  it's quite a heavy book uh like it probably I call it my bible it's probably as heavy as a bible as well but I tell you what any time I need to know anything it's got everything about every fruit and herb and vegetable in it and such an amazing resource for you and just to let you know certain things about that lettuce not a good um warm uh month crop. S really concentrate on the rockets and the Mediterranean vegetables there Jenny and good luck with it.
Very ironic that this wonderful summer salad  vegetable  doesn't like growing in summer  but there you.
Not not in Sydney that's for sure.
But it's not your fault . Mila good morning.
good morning.
Hi Mila.
Hi how are you.
Good how are you.
Yeah I got a problem on my peaches nectarines pree uh previous years I got a good fruit. But last year it's uh when you look outside it's okay but there is some black spots  on the fruit  and when you open it's rotten . So I didn't get even one piece of of fruit.
Well it's just a seasonal thing I wouldn't worry there's nothing you can do for this year Mila unfortunately sometimes fruit have better years than others and I think yes you've got a fungus and a and a and a rot in the fruit uh I really don't think there's much you can do uh at all this year you know you could next year um water in with uh anti-rot around the tree as a preventative for next year but uh nothing you can do this year unfortunately uh and I I would just fingers crossed that next year's fruit isn't um susceptible to the same rot.
Thanks for your call Mila we do have to leave it there um we've got Sandra's diary coming up soon and more of your calls are welcome on one-three-one-eight-seven-three you can call through now you're listening to the Garden Clinic on Two G B.
Yes top of the morning to you nice to have your company Luke Bona here with Linda Ross this morning and some lines are available you  powered through some calls in that last half hour one-three-one-eight-seven-three and Two G B dot com you've got a couple of uh emails here Linda can I read one to you. Um in fact we did touch on this last week but you can uh you can repeat this it's from Manly Vale Elizabeth can pool water salted  be used on the garden ih uh it's nearly overflowing at the moment and instead of wasting it I would like to make use of it.
Oh depends what you're growing but uh it really depends what you're growing I would worry about certain things uh so no. I would b I would be a little bit worried about this.
Do you feel guilty when your   when your pool is filled but it's it's also probably a very good opportunity for you to backwash your pool. Uh 'cos you gotta do that occasionally so if you got a it's it's a salt water pool so you've probably got a cartridge. Uh and anyone with a Diatomaceous Earth filter if your pool is full and ih you do feel terribly guilty running that water off but give it a backwash 'n'  and that's the time to do it I su I suppose.
Thanks Luke. Yes I would very worried a lot of plants hate salt and uh and a lotta plants won't even grow around a salt water pool just because of the splash of the salt water. Okay straight out to Pamela at Normanhurst good morning.
Good morning to you but um. I learn a lot from your program each uh weekend thank you very much.
Terrific.
I've got a lovely bush garden uh surrounded by trees turpentine gums . Uh azaleas and um tree ferns and um  tt yes. And I've been given a stag horn for a birthday present it's very healthy and I want to know how to keep it healthy . And where I should hang it what aspect.
Well I like to keep my stag horns in morning sun. Uh or dappled shade considering that's where they grow  I mean I have seen up in Dorrigo I go bushwalking um through those mountains and the stag horns up there are just incredible. And they like dappled sun under turpentines or under eucalypts that's where they grow so your environment there at Normanhurst will be perfect a dappled sun just as long as you're not getting any of the hot afternoon sun.
Yes that's what I was thinking because there are parts of the garden that get the westerly sun.
Yes. As all gardens . But try not to try to protect it from the hot afternoon sun uh but and I mean I have seen stag horns very healthy stag horns and quite robust in full sun but they have become that way over a long period of time and they've hardened up . Uh but uh young ha stag horns uh th really you know they're th  th the best uh position is dappled shade under trees . And looking after them is  quite easy. They really don't mind just using the rain that falls and whatever falls into their lovely foliage sort of catchment  uh as fertiliser. You can every now and then shoot some seaweed up into them if they're up in a tree  um by clicking onto uh a seaweed uh thing onto the hose and just squirting it  because they do let those lovely foliage  um curved foliage take up the nutrient through the leaf . Um and the only other thing I would m be mindful of is the stag horn or elk horn beetle. That does a lot of damage . Uh and you can see it um eating through the the the big beautiful f um leaf uh foliages uh f with the stag horn beetle and the only thing that really nips that in the bud is using Confidor but I would just be mindful of that.
Yes the other thing I have are possums.
Oh.
Do possums like stag horn.
Not really.
Oh good .
Possums like other things like roses.
I'm tried with possums all the time I've had  roses with it with a possum proof fence round them I'm hoping I'm going to get some .
Well hopefully the r the possum won't go for the stag horn although if the possum's very hungry it probably  will um uh there are uh other plants that possums would prefer  magnolia buds rosebuds .
Oh you're very encouraging . Thank you very much. Good.
Thank you Pamela.
other thing I must tell you which annoys me intensely I have an easement at the bottom of my garden and all this beautiful water going to waste down the drain.
Yes luh uh I think everyone's sort of well anyone.
you can do about it.
There's  I've been listening to the government this week  talking about uh all of their solutions for water in this nation and this c in this beautiful city of ours. And I just think um y'know what all we can do as as home owners and and gardeners is capture as much of the rain that falls in our properties with a rainwater tank and use it on our garden and start at a grassroots level capture the uh s the rain um ih if you wanna divert that water flow ih um into a a a po a pool or something a pond um really um to yuh hook up the the roof uh with a water tank and see if we can capture as much as we can and then use that uh for our gardens I think that's just the easiest most simple idea and to know that that rebate for a rainwater tank has been extended to July two-thousand-and-eight where homeowners get six-hundred-and-fifty dollars rebate uh for installing a rainwater tank now there's so many wun wonderful tanks out there Pamela. Have you thought about that.
Yes I am thinking about it yes indeed.
I mean there's so many good dis uh tanks there's just the corrugated iron ones that look they're in a homestead out back  uh there's some slimline g rectangular tanks that actually fit down the side passages of our homes and driveways they're really very uh functional uh the other one I really like is a bladder system which I which operates as a an a a flexible bladder um and you can put it under the house or under a deck. It's Rain Reviver that's the company that does it and that means it's out of the way uh if it's hard y'know if you've got no space around your uh house these systems uh I think are absolutely ingenious and an an Australian invention I was looking up on the web uh last weekend that's Rain Reviver and they operate as big um like pillow shaped packages really that just open and contract and expand as the water goes in and you just flow the water in and then you can use it for whatever you need to the garden or or flushing the toilet or or uh or whatever. Uh uh a really wonderful Australian invention that's a bladder system from Rain Reviver but of course so many t types of rainwater tanks out there for us to choose from.
Do you know what else there is now. Y you'll love this. If you're constructing a new home  walls and instead of having a concrete wall which is um ma maybe three hundred mils wide it's hollow  and it contains water.
Using the cavity in the wall.
How good is that.
Terrific and I saw another one that the walls of a shed like a  garden shed were about a foot wide and they also were a reservoir for water as well a lot of people uh are using their brains to come up with very lateral ways of capturing water um on our gardens and I think if we can't um go forward uh as um um y'know it has been very o obvious from last week uh I think y'know gardeners can really make the solutions uh in their homes and in their gardens.
It's a quarter to seven here at Two G B the Garden Clinic now if you lis listen very carefully between now and nine because  we'll be giving away uh thank you very much to um the f the people at Munns Munns quality garden products Australian owned since nineteen-forty-eight we have a golf course green lawn fertiliser five kilo bag two organic garden booster bags they're five kilos each the pack is worth fifty dollars we'll ask our Munns garden question between now and nine stay listening the first correct caller through when we give you a queue to call is today's winner.
Hello Glad.
Hello Luke hello Linda.
Hello hello how are you.
Fine thank you.
That's good wha.
Um my problem is um  tt uh pride of Madeira. It's the first year that I've had it that it's flowered.
Wonderful how long has it taken to flower for Glad.
Um well it's probably been in um oh perhaps twelve months.
Oh well that's very lucky mine took four years to flower.
Did it oh no  it hasn't been in that long. And uh now it's it's um  y'know it it has flowered and with this rain it's all droopy what do I do with it.
Prune it back.
Just prune.
Prune all those flowerheads off I mean the pride of Madeira is just a favourite of mine for its stunning purple flowers. I mean some of them get about two foot long  and um and of course it's very drought tolerant a very waterwise plant doesn't need much water at all Mediterranean sort of plant  um like the lavenders and oh just stunning. But I would pr ih mine is droopy too um because of course they've got big heads of flowers and when they get wet they droop um just with the weight of the rain in them.
And would I cut all those spikes.
You can cut all those spikes back.
Right  and it's next to a curl tree. Would their root systems.
No they'll be fine together . Very happy together.
Oh good.
Thanks Glad.
Thank you very much.
I'm growing the tower of jewels uh pride of Madeira which I have to say maybe mum and dad mentioned it uh is probably three metres high with flower spikes about five foot long um uh unbelievable we're taking a photo and putting it into uh the magazine but it is probably three metres lo it's certainly taller than dad um so at least three metres tall uh and the flower spikes in excess of one metre tall unbelievable tower of jewels it's a a new variety of the pride of Madeira but certainly a big one for the garden let's go straight to Sally good morning.
Good morning how are you today.
Excellent how are you.
Not too bad thank you.
Good.
Now before I start on what I wanted I heard you advertising the white cedar which I agree is a beautiful tree.
Not advertising but just mentioning yes .
Well mentioning right okay but but please may I warn any of your listeners who are thinking of investing in it that that the caterpillar that you mentioned  is a hairy brute and a lot of children are allergic to it. And it wanders into the house and you're likely to find its pupa uh c uh when it uh pupates before beforming the moth anywhere. And we had a terrible trouble because my nephew was allergic to it.
Oh dear it can become a problem yes.
It can be uh but if if they do as you said put the canvass around the thing  and kill them all off every morning  then you can keep the wretches down to control.
Good . A pretty tree though.
It's a beautiful tree I agree very pretty. And it's a light foliage it's not one of those very heavy dense.
That's true.
So you can grow other things underneath it.
Exactly.
And at this time of year you've got the very very pretty flowers but people need to don't put it outside the bedroom door of y bedroom window of your favourite son or you you'll wake him up itching in the middle of the night.
Oh one for a property maybe.
Well that's that's right or as ou out the front gate where the it can drop on the passers-by y'know.
Yeah  a  good street tree.
Naughty naughty aren't I. Okay now um what I was wanting to know is do you know anything about  pruning paw pawpaw trees.
No why would you.
Well I've got two and the um I'm looking out the back window now at the plain ordinary orange one which is five metres tall. And I cannot get the fruit .
Oh dear.
The possum's eaten half of half the big one.
Yep.
And I'm just going to try and recruit the friend up the street to bring his long ladder down as .
Yes you need a a a sparky or someone or a chippie with a really long ladder.
Well yes exactly but I'm just wondering what would happen if I chop it off will it shoot out again.
It probably will but it's not uh um advisable.
It's not advisable.
No uh I mean there are smaller growing pawpaws to grow Sally and you  might like to get.
It was just it was just from a seed.
Yes well that's right but there are varieties.
Mm see um I've got the um bisexual red and it's the same but fortunately it's right beside the garage so we can shin up on it and get .
That's an im that's a very good thing a good solution plant it near a house or a t or a shed or something but no they're tall trees you can get smaller varieties and if you were looking for the s um named varieties I would definitely go to uh Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery or look them up on the web uh they're just the best Australian uh fruit nursery they do mail order and I'll just give you uh their email address um which is Emma at Daleys fruit dot com dot A U um Daleys spelt D A L E Y S and they specialise in subtropical fruit and nuts uh lots of pawpaws there uh macadamias herbs I mean terrific passion fruit custard apples avocadoes mangoes as well so if you're interested in subtropical fruit Daleys Fruit n Nursery is just wonderful it's at Kyogle but they do mail order and I'm sure they've got a smaller dwarf growing um pawpaw but uh I would not recommend a pruning.
Three minutes to seven Two G B the Garden Clinic with Linda Ross.
Good morning and welcome to another Sydney weekend Luke Bona here with Linda Ross and the Garden Clinic after nine as uh the man just said Sydney Real Estate with Mark Moraza and between ten and twelve today it is Your Health with Dr Graham a big line up today but Linda's here one-three-one-eight-seven-three is the telephone number and.
She'll do in the meantime.
Listen can I can you quickly um answer this you'll do this in two seconds this is from Michelle  from Harrington Park. .
Oh. Okay new water. There is a fertiliser a liquid fertiliser Michelle that uh is actually named Lucky Bamboo and it's particularly for the water of the plant now it needs a really light bright spot as you can imagine ih something that's just growing in water needs a lot of uh sunshine to help photosynthesis and and good strong healthy growth. So I would go to my local nursery and I would buy the liquid fertiliser that's for lucky bamboo. They made one particularly for it because of course it's uh it's a soluble thing that's not it doesn't grow in in soil that's my first step um secondly I would put it in a really light bright sunshiny spot in the house so good luck with it I hope it uh  gets a little bit healthier in the next couple of weeks for you. Okay straight to Balgowlah good morning John.
Good morning. Thanks very much for your show and I'm sure uh all all of your listeners enjoy it.
Thank you.
Uh my little problem is concerns a a  Tahitian lime which I put in that's about seven years old now  and uh buh as we're moving I've had to repot it I've pulled it out and it's now in a pot. Uh we've cut it back considerably  and some of the b some of the little branches are starting to die off and some are staying nice and green. Uh will you say what should I do. S s anything I can  help it with at all.
Well the thing is it's probably in shock. 'Cos you've severed the roots.
Yeah well that makes two of us.
And unfortun uh was it a big big tree.
Oh ih cuh about two metres.
Yeah see that's quite  la and when was this done John.
Oh about a month ago.
Oh okay. Okay so what is what's happening is the tree has exploded into new growth probably like its sap's moving around and then you've come along and cut the roots. So it's just stressed out but what I would do in these situations when I'm transplanting anything out of the garden into a pot into a new spot um spray with Stress Guard. And it is uh um it covers the leaf and it stops the leaf from losing moisture. It basically stops moisture loss from transpiration uh really helpful uh at a time like this . What what it will do is dry out. Because the water uh ih it'll be stressed the roots actually can't take any moisture in and the leaves are giving moisture off so it's uh that's will ench eventually happen it'll dry out and die so the Stress Guard is very very good in this sort of situation when you're transplanting something not in autumn or winter  and uh and as an evergreen um plant of c ih it should be moved in autumn so we're a little bit late  but Stress Guard it. Which is a spray that you can spray over all of the leaves . Um and that stops any moisture being lost and that will help I would've liked that to be have done before you did it but now is still very good you'll get uh you ih will be very useful and just water the roots every week with seaweed solution.
Uhuh that's the key one thanks very much.
That's the key.
Okay doke.
Both of those now if you wanna hold on there John I'll send you out some Maxicrop  fr um which is a s wonderful seaweed solution uh so if you just hold on there  I'll get your address and we'll send you some Maxicrop because no n uh as well as as um you using the Maxicrop now while it's in a pot when it gets into its new location  it needs to be regularly watered with um s uh Maxicrop as well.
Is it will it survive in a pot.
It will survive in a pot a lot of Tahitian limes which I call the gin and tonic tree grow very well in big pots . So yes.
Yes it's in a big one.
Is it in a big pot.
Fairly big yes.
Something like a um eventually a half wine barrel is a  good size for  a a a Tahitian lime.
Great.
Okay . Terrific my pleasure John just remember also that uh citrus need to be fertilised three times a year they're very hungry uh but not for you right now let's wait till it gets a little bit better and it regenerates from it's uh huge shock and anyone else who's got citrus spring winter and autumn. Feed three times a year. Straight to Dorothy good morning Dorothy.
Oh good morning Linda and Luke.
Do they call you Dot.
Y no really I'm a Dorothy Norman .
Very good.
She's a Dorothy Dorothy .
Very good.
How can we help you.
I have a buffalo lawn in trouble.
Yeah.
Now it gets the sun all in summer all day but in winter about a quarter of it is mostly in shade . But it's always survived . Now this year I've had an absolute mat of weed in this area . I've dug it out but most of the buffalo is dead underneath  and the area seems to be almost rotted.
Yes. The shade and the um the wi.
water I suppose.
That's right. D'y'know what I would think about doing Dorothy I know uh eh uh y'know I'd have liked the garden to be as easy and as trouble free as possible. The quarter is it under a tree that doesn't get the sun.
No no it's some trees um from next door.
Trees from next door. I would think about not having lawn there.
Oh.
Because it problem is gunna happen  year after year after year. The.
Well this is the first year it's happened . I get a few weeds but I take them out and I never have any trouble.
With the um the m harder um environment that we've gotta garden with now with the um the very dry winter we had with the druh well the drought really whether you wanna call it a drought or just y'know no rain  . Na a natural sort of r um climatic condition that we have at the moment the lawn in that area will constantly each year um find it harder and harder to uh grow after the winter.
What about the shade resistant buffalo.
Shade tolerant buffalo is a good one  sh called Shademaster. But again complete shade over winter it will struggle to get back. Uh in in it's so hard to get mm a lawn growing in these areas but Shademaster is a terrific one but better in dappled shade obviously not full shade.
Well it's not full shade.
Okay . Well Shademaster is a great alternative.
Now what about this mat of uh it almost looks like um uh well uh I suppose it's rotted dowh lawn and rotted weed. I've tried to scrape it up but it it looks as though it will need something a fungus spray or something on it.
Well if it sounds like if if it's a whole lot of weeds and a whole loh um it it needs to be replaced.
Yes I'll have to replace it.
So maybe you would like to replace it um with the Shademaster uh lawns are it's it's such a hard thing I mean my I've totally relaxed my uh feelings of lawn I have because I am not prepared to water my lawn. Uh with the water restrictions and so it must stand up for itself so dad and I were laughing at it because it's more clover but I have the greenest sh c l I know that will horrify some of you lawn experts out there but it's a quite a green lawn I mow the lawh mow the clo clover and uh the dandelion and it's quite quite fine and uh of course I don't have to water it and it's n really nice and green so sometimes we have to l relax our feelings when it comes to lawn with the drought and uh the water restrictions. But in your case maybe now is time to replace it with a shade tolerant lawn like Shademaster.
Lucky members for today the twenty-third and Mrs Elizabeth Disney.
What a cute name.
Related to Walt Disney.
Who knows.
Possibly not. Mrs Elizabeth Disney from Wahroonga Ms Lee Zorbis from Maroubra Mrs E Mansfield from Mt Warrigal Miss Tamara Barinov from Woollahra and Mrs Thelma Hayes from Redfern congratulations you're our five lucky members you've won yourselves some Yates Pest Oil. Give us a call on one-three-hundred-seven-double-two-eight-seven-three. And by the way you can join the Garden Clinic club today.
Yes sh uh she's there from seven to nine this morning.
She's the cat's mother who's there.
I'm not sure Margaret's actually on holidays.
Uh zw it would be Amy then.
No I think it's someone else um but  whoever it is it's lovely nine-eight buh nine-four-eight-four-five-one-hundred that's nine-four-eight-four-five-one-hundred anyone who'd like to join the club or go on a day trip we're taking a rhododendron heaven we've called it to Blackheath that's on Wednesday the t November the twenty-fourth and Saturday November the twenty-seventh um just to see the rhododendrons at Blackheath they're absolutely sensational. And we also pop into Mt Tomah botanic gardens so if you haven't gone up there for a while why don't you join us on the rhododendron heaven day trip and you can uh book today nine-four-eight-four-five-one-hundred.
It's eighteen past seven.
Nora from Dover Heights good morning.
Hi Luke hi Linda how are you.
Hello Nora how are you.
Good thank you.
Long time no speak.
Well absolutely except I think Lara rang you  a couple of weeks ago.
Lara was just adorable.
Um Linda we put in a jacaranda in a sheltered position.
Where did you buy it from.
From a nursery.
Good yep.
four years ago  but not one sign of a little purple flower. Now my neighbour tells me you've gotta wait for seven years but I see trees that look smaller than mine  it must be about eight foot now  and and and they've got flowers on them so can I do anything or is it a dud.
Not really and don't know .
Oh right dih buy another one.
Very hard to know  um at the nursery they do um you do buy uh guaranteed to flower plants  now I mean all nurseries should be um gr um selling um plants that are guaranteed to flower . Uh that's just y'know uh absolutely given when you buy a jacaranda. If you had um propagated a jacaranda from seed  I would say yes seven years to flower and maybe never  but because you have bought it from the nursery I'd say ih there's a hundred percent um chance that it will flower.
Oh uh oh eventually.
Eventually . And it might take a couple of.
no idea of the time it.
Not not really I mean sometimes a a jacaranda takes seven years uh to feel comfortable enough to flower . But um uh and um and sometimes those ones that you see that are flowering young ones.
Yes.
They've been in a pot for a long time . So what they think they ac they actually trick themselves into thinking that they're older than they are because their root space is completely taken up with roots . And uh a plant uh oh ov often will fruit and flower when it's in a pot because it feels like it's mature  'cos there's no more space for the roots  to grow.
Don't chop it down .
No I I'd give it a couple more years Nora.
Alright  thanks Linda.
Thank you.
Bye.
Bye-bye and gee I can just see a mauvy tint across the uhs the city this week as the jacarandas are just about to burst into flower absolutely my favourite time of the year because it coincides with my birthday ha ha but if you'd like to join us on the jacaranda cruise you can we've got three beautiful cruises to celebrate jacarandas and Sydney um ring nine-four-eight-four-five-one-hundred if you wanna join the Ross family on the harbour for three hours stuff yourself with uh muffins and have a cup of tea with us that's coming up in November. Straight to Baulkham Hills Dorothy good morning.
Um this is the first time I've ever rung  I listen every weekend.
Thank you for listening  Dorothy.
Having problems with my b well I'm not problems with my blue potato vine.
Oh wonderful thing to grow we don't really talk about it much.
No this is why I've been listening to see if someone else has .
I'm glad  you've plucked up the courage to ring.
Last year it was absolutely this was its first year it was perfect I had beautiful clumps of blue flowers.
Mhm.
And followed by the.
Berry.
Berries and they were magnificent. But now I let it go in the winter time because I didn't know what to do about it and now I'm wondering should I be pruning it or should I.
When did it flower for you.
Um.
Autumn.
No  not theh not this year it must have been  uh earlier on much earlier on.
Uh summer this year.
Mm yes it would've been summer.
Oh okay um what could it be uh they do flower summer and autumn  and then that's wh as soon as they finish flowering Dorothy that's when to prune them.
And how how far do you .
Well you can you can be as tough as you like really.
Yes well it it looks scraggly at the moment.
Exactly.
And I thought now should I.
I wouldn't prune it now . It's too late for this year . Uh and uh that's fine blue potato vine and 'n' Solanums often get straggly. Uh that's just their nature they're looking for the sun and they're straggly and leggy and.
Well it gets plenty of sun.
Yeah that's why it's looking for the sun it goes out and it lengthens. Uh that's the a little bit of an issue when when growing potato vines but when it stops flowering um in s autumn summer and autumn next year two-thousand-and-five then you can prune quite hard.
And do I feed it now or.
Um definitely feed it now spring is a wonderful time to feed Dorothy and really whatever you've got will be right for a potato vine whether it's Organic Life or Garden Gold anything for a potato vine now and that will encourage more flowers and then a really hard prune after flowering.
Dorothy thank you for your call we do have to move on twenty-seven past seven Two G B.
Yes Luke and Linda this morning in the Garden Clinic and we're still waiting for Mrs E Mansfield from Mt Warrigal Miss Tamara Barinov from Woollahra Miss uh Mrs Thelma Hayes from Redfern we've heard from Elizabeth Disney and Lee Zorbis so they're our final three members on the Garden Clinic please call us on one-three-hundred-seven-double-two-eight-seven-three and pick up your prize which is some Yates Pest Oil. But remember you can also contact the Garden Clinic today. The office is open today 'n' you can join the Garden Clinic uh and Linda your telephone number there.
And  nine-four-eight-four-five-one-hundred thank you so much for joining us here on the Garden Clinic show uh Linda and Luke with you uh lovely to have your company on a warm Saturday love the weekend I love when it rolls around oh we can just take a load off make a nice cup of calming tea and look out to the lovely garden see how it's spruced up with the recent spring rains. I hope your garden's looking a treat let's go out to Laurie Kirrawee and see what her garden's looking like.
Oh  water-shod . But I'm so glad to see the sun.
Fr it's good isn't it . How can how can we help what are you doing today.
Well uh I have a Christmas bush uh at the moment it's in full white bloom. It's in a pot about oh.
A n a New South Wales Christmas bush.
Yes.
Yep  not the New Zealand yep.
yeah ih it's the one that turns  red after  it's in a pot about fourteen inches across . I want to put it out into the garden but the only problem is uh the soil is quite clay . Now can I successfully leave it in the pot  uh oh I'd rather I mean it's about a a metre and a half tall . A and I I would like to get it out into the garden  but I don't quite know how to go about it.
Well let me just firstly say if you put it in the garden now it will die . The clay soil it hates clay soil.
Oh I know.
So you've got to um build up the soil into a mound with really good compost and soil and um uh a bit of a proportion of sand because you can see where the New South Wales Christmas bush grow they grow right along the Hawkesbury sandstone areas where the soils is quite skeletal but quite well drained.
Yeah well it came from uh my son's garden in Frenchs Forest.
Yeah perfect there you go  exactly. That's the perfect spot for it Frenchs Forest the soils are so well drained there so what you've gotta do is replicate that . Mound up the soil so the water drains away. Put a lot of cow manure to m to break down that clay use Clay Breaker and GroundBreaker or gr uh GroundBreaker which breaks down the clay for you . And even if you want import a little bih uh I normally say don't import topsoil make it yourself but with really heavy clay uh import topsoil uh uh into a mound  um so you've got a nice mounded garden bed plant the Christmas bush at the top and you can put other things like kangaroo paw or whatever you wish around it .
Well 'cos the place where I'm going to put it uh I've had a several mm uh layers of uh sugarcane mulch  over the years ih in that garden 'cos it's where I have all my bulbs as well . A and uh uh like uh that can be dug in I've found that that t tended to mat a bit on top of the soil.
It does mat . Um like any mulch does um but yes you can build that in hmhm  um but just try and raise the garden bed as much as possible Laurie  because if water collects at the root system it will rot in y'know five seconds flat.
Yeah well I don't want to lose it . Uh how long could I leave it in the pot that it's in.
How long .
it's about two year old.
See and it's flowering well.
Oh ih it's covered in flower.
Wonderful well then I would probably just leave it there until the area um is at to your satisfaction . Till the soil is friable and well drained enough for you to think it's gunna grow and the water will drain away . That's that's when.
Have I got uh t time for just another quick.
Yeah.
Uh I have an apricot tree. I grew it from seed uh and it's about three year old. Now for the first two years it did produce fruit but this year uh I've only got about two or three  apricots on it. Would that be because of the drought.
Exactly.
Mhm.
Yeah it's just a little s water stress like so many of the other fruit trees we're getting a lot of problems with fruit trees when they're stressed fruit trees just uh either are susceptible to a lot of insect to rot uh and disease uh and uh when uh they're water stressed particularly that's ih that's evident and they oh often don't fruit so that's all it is Laurie. If your apricot which I think is amazing that firstly you've germinated from seed and secondly that it fruited for you in the first three years is incredible let's just have a little hiatus this year and uh just feed it well at the moment y'know some fruit tree fertiliser and let's wait uh for it to fruit next year lovely to talk to you though and good to get that New South Wales Christmas bush in as soon as you can as soon as you've improved that soil. Uh let's go to Oatlands and speak with Nicky.
Good morning good morning to you both.
How are you.
Not too bad thank you.
Excellent.
Um just calling about my lawn it is buffalo it's not a huge area it's it's a really quite a large court yeahr court y'know area  I suppose you could say. Uh north facing. The lawn is in great condition but we have a lot of weeds mainly binh bindy  and and and also this other oh I it's a green on top and it's like silver underneath and I'm digging those out like there's no tomorrow but  yeah they just keep coming back so I just wanted y'know .
Well you've got a broad leaf grass  which means you can't use any of the weedicides on it.
That's r yeah that's my problem.
But I mean having said that a buffalo's the best lawn to have anyway  it's so easy. And looks good most of year . Um so I'd definitely get some Bindii onto the bindy . Um it's a little bit late because they're actually forming um now but uh a little bit of Bindii will help  um and y'know all you can do really is either dig it out by hand  which I always find the best way because you get the root system  and it's all gone and you can just y'know get your little knee pad out there take the t the radio and  off you go um and you know that they're all gone and then give you a fertil um then you give your lawn a little bit of a a feed to m make it all knit into the holes again . Uh a good healthy lawn will um be so thick that weeds find it hard to get in and.
I have noticed that lately actually  that.
But then lately I mean goodness luh mm goodness me it's a lawn  it's very y'know we've got water restrictions  we can't keep watering our lawns  y'know that's just fact um so a f if a few little weeds get in l like you've got get them out with a little wuh um hand weeder  or use um a specialised herbicide like uh Roundup or Zero. A.
Yeah the only thing is have a little one who's just nearly two .
Well I wouldn't use that either then  uh and dogs as well I would just hand weed  get out there um spend half a day get get them all out and particularly the bindi-eye with her around  you know you wanna get rid of that on uh as as soon as possible but un unfortunately there's no magic solution I wish there was . I wish I would sell it   um but unfortunately I can't it's just a a matter of hand weeding getting them all out and unfortunately it's a little bit of y'know a process that will go on and on as weed seeds blow in  from neighbours and so forth it's really hard to protect our lawn against weeds . But a healthy lawn um thick and healthy  uh and uh now is the time to feed them of course  um really helps because if it's thick lawn the weed seeds find it hard to uh penetrate  and to grow.
Yep no that's great thanks very much for your help.
Thank you.
Thank you bye.
Bye-bye.
Thirteen to eight here at Two G B we'll take a break coming back with more of the Garden Clinic more of your calls lawn tips around the corner  and uh I got a couple of emails here that you might want to address I'll let you look at them during the break Linda  this is Two G B.
Well lawns are growing at a hectic pace aren't they huh hard to get um hard to get them trimmed uh my lawn is oh up to my knees  already. It's the worst um it's it's the tallest lawn in in the whole neighbourhood uh I'm sure people hate my lawn but when you are mowing and I as I am this afternoon yeah just keep it a little bit higher um with the um uh with the less rain we're getting it's important just to have a a little bit higher lawn about two inches three inches l um high uh and that will really help protect it and of course if you mulch mow um that's really important too to mulch the lawn as you go 'n' and that really helps conserve root moisture uh so just a couple of tips there when you're mowing your lawn.
Good on you Linda let's get back to calls Maurice good morning.
Good morning .
Hello Maurice.
How are you.
Good how are you.
Oh not bad.
How can I help.
Look I've got a mango tree about fifteen years old.
Yes.
And two year ago I had a lot of mango . Last year I didn't have one even. But now there's a lot of flower on it do you think I should spray it with something or.
No I think you should just leave it unfortunately now it's rained. And that's a loh uh that's a problem um when uh the weather is rainy you ih um sometimes it washes all the pollen away.
Ah yes.
That's the problem with m m passion fruits too if anyone's growing passion fruits  because we've had the uh autumn uh sorry the October rains  which month am I in October rains um you you do need to hand pollinate with a small brush f um that's the passion fruit but all I would do for you m Morrie is really just see how that mango goes I mean it's hard to pollinate a tree uh 'cos they're too tall um but yeah.
Sorry w what was that.
It's a big tree .
Big tree that's right yes and you can't really do anything to increase your production and it's unfortunately um with the season that's we have  sometimes it rains when the um the the mangoes are pollinating the the rain washes the pollen away so you don't get the the flowers pollinated and that turning into fruit unfortunately the the climate can be against you so we can just cross our fingers and hope that your flowers have already pollinated themselves before we got the rain from last week.
So just leave it alone Maurice that's the uh advice from Linda let's move on then there's Robin from Londonderry.
Hi.
Good morning.
Hello.
Linda good morning Luke how are you.
We're good thanks.
I'm ringing this morning about my roses  my climbing roses but before I start can I just quickly say something about those beautiful white cedar trees.
Yes.
Which I have some in my driveway and.
Have you.
I have one in the house. But I was given them under the name of a cape lilac.
Really.
Which I thought that was lovely   flowers are so beautiful however why I'm ringing is  I've learned during a a course at TAFE actually that these um berries are so toxic to horses  they'll kill them within twenty-four hours.
Yes that's a real problem.
And I just thought that maybe everybody might like to know that so that if they are planting then uh luckily I didn't plant them in the horse paddock.
Oh 'cos you're out that way.
could have been disastrous.
Horses and cattle uh they're very toxic to  um but you them um they're perfect for a street tree whe .
Oh look they're the most beautiful canopy .
But yes that's right they are toxic.
so wonderful . But to get onto my roses  I have climbing roses on the front fence those white cherokee roses which  have got terribly um  y'know straggly  especially with the drought and y'know not having too much to to give them up there on the street but  I want to know um somebody said I shouldn't cut them back till after they flower and they're only just starting to look like wanting to flower now . Is it right that I leave it till after they  flower  and how far how hard can .
Oh Robyn you can be ruthless.
Okay .
When the kids are annoying you get out there with the secateurs and  take all your anger out on the climbing rose. Now the thing with climbing roses and uh I was at a wonderful garden gee it was pretty. Helen's garden um I duh guh uh landscape design consultation in Pymble last week  and she had this climbing rose and it was a couple of years old and it was a tangled mess and I said give me the secateurs and we untangled it we were very ruthless with it Robyn  um anything that we didn't want we removed . Um a lot of laterals we removed and we then um untangled these this this sort of wild mess of of stems.
Well that's how mine have got on the  on street line .
Right and then we just.
Want them to be y'know cover you from the street a little bit  however they get to the point where they're not .
That's right and what you want to do after flowering is prune all those laterals back to your framework. And it's so important to uh get that frame work up and running so it looks good it's um w we had uh a some posts of the pergola we were winding them up in a sort of clockwork uh clockwise direction they just looked good in so good in in the end but that's what you need to do prune back the laterals to your framework and then you'll get wonderful new growth and new flowers next year.
Have to leave it there Robyn thank you for your call and thanks for the warning about those bushes and the b and the and the horses very good advice. Four minutes to eight this is Two G B.
Luke and Linda this morning um back to you callers in just a second there is an email there that um ih it's a er a problem with a swimming pool and cocos time I believe.
It is Luke thank you very much for passing this over she has got rid of the cocos palms around her pool yay and uh she'd like some uh replacements something with a little bit of fragrance um.
Don't you just hate cocos palms  I've got those four hideous ones outside they drop those y yellow berries  in any wind  the pa the palms come down.
Yeah and then their fronds hang bluh uh like dead because they don't drop the fronds.
Why did we go through this cocos palm.
It was some crazy nurseryman and I feel like hunting him down . But  uh from the seventies but he's probably gone now  God rest his soul. But no y'know what  palms are quite lovely and the bangalow palm is a very pretty self cleaning palm. Stop laughing. Um m the bangalow palm it's an Australian palm and it's just beautiful they do get taller and I'm not suggesting you replace uh the cocos with bangalows but in an in a sort of a tropical setting bangalow palms do grow quite well and they're a good b uh palm for cooler climates so if you're out um out in the western suburbs and you want to create that tropical sort of a feel uh bangalow palms are definitely the one for you and in cooler weather they sort of get s a bit stunted so they don't grow as quickly. They're really lovely a s a lovely clean trunk the fronds drop off um they're not big fronds so don't worry it's not gunna hurt anyone but they drop off when they die so they're nice and clean uh and lovely uh and look after themselves. Uh okay so now let's get back Marilyn's qu query. Marilyn it just I just want to know really what height you want these things around the salt water pool. Uh you um if you wanted um taller things around the salt water pool um like a a medium sized tree then an evergreen uh native frangipani would be great uh I just don't know what height you want I mean gardenias are terrific on on a lower level the perfume of a gardenia um in a medium level like a two to three metre level the Magnolia grandiflora little gem. In a sunny spot it just flowers nonstop for ten months of the year and its big white flowers have a a lemon fragrance. Uh that's beautiful uh now uh and if you wanted something taller the native frangipanis a hymenosporum. They're flowering their little heads off at the moment. You'll see them all around Sydney they've got lemon yellow flowers they're a small to medium size tree but quite a fine looking tree not a dense tree so it won't throw a lot of shade and just p oh just a profusion of uh lemon uh flowers right now with a beautiful fragrance. Uh just lovely and a really glossy green leaf too which goes with that tropical sorta look. So I hope that helps and if you um would like to be more specific with the height I'll hih uh I'll help you even further.
Eleven past eight let's go back to calls Anne from Blacktown good morning.
Thanks Anne for your call. To Winifred good morning.
Good morning.
Hi Winifred.
Hi thank you I'm an avid fan of the Rosses.
Thank you darling.
I enjoy you all. Tell me uh I'm ringing for my daughter she's in Bellevue Hill and her face ow uh house is facing north  and the frontage is a wide long frontage and she's got two will have two wide brick spaces now in that she wishes to put shrubs smaller ones in one lot and taller in the other . I'm very fond of uh oh camellias and gardenias but what do you suggest.
Well camellias and gardenias are terrific plants and in a northerly position that she has there I would love to see what sort of house she has. Uh a photo would be terrific and then I would be able to maybe suggest things that would bring out the colour of the house or would suit the  style of the house.
Stone mostly.
Stone.
And there will be stone colour.
And a stone colour so like that ochry colour.
Yeah.
Well y'know and uh.
storeys.
Two storeys  and uh so I mean the camellias are terrific um particularly the sasanquas as you know fr Winifred would like the  hot sun. Now um gardenias um would be good as well as long as they're not getting any of the western sun.
No it she's facing north.
But then accent  plants too would be great.
Which ones.
Accent plants plants with strappy leaves like Cordyline red sensation. These are terrific they make great statements and they give a really lovely sort of accent in the garden they really draw your attention because a good garden design should have lots of different textures and leaf shapes. That's what makes it interesting so you've got the small leaf shape of the camellias and then a really interesting strappy leaf shape of a Cordyline red sensation. Or there's a new one called pink sensation now red sensation has burgundy coloured leaves really great looking thing. Tough and hardy and I love it when I plant it with flapjacks underneath because the flapjacks have a burgundy margin to the leaf which picks it up really well and sometimes I like planting it with agaves as well so you get this really good little feel. What are you looking at me like that for you think I'm on a r tangent a raving and ranting but that's what we need to do when we're designing gardens from scratch is get into a little bit of a r rave work out what colours uh and match the colours with other things use foliage plants as well as flowering plants and then you'll have a sensational garden so I would suggest Winifred for her to look at the Cordyline red sensation for her to look at uh flapjacks uh and agaves which are those century plants wonderful statements and then maybe the hedge of Camellia sasanqua at the back.
Thank you for your call. You shuh you you were getting worked up.
Oh well a new garden's always exciting isn't it.
And we've got some garden news with Rodian right  after this.
Absolutely.
Well all bush gardeners all fern lovers and all lovers of Australian plants listen up there's been a new discovery in Queensland very interesting and to tell us a little bit more about it Rodian Booker from the Garden Clinic good morning.
Good morning Linda how you going.
I'm not too bad rolling through the morning. Tell us about what they found in and Queensland and and what that means for home gardeners.
Well it's a um a variety of um tassel fern blue tassel fern uh Huperzia. It's a.
A what . A.
Huperzia.
Huperzia mhm.
Yeah um  often sold as a hanging basket plant or other varieties of it have been makes a stunning um specimen for the shade house and under trees. But they've found one in Queensland that was last recorded in the wild about twenty-six years ago. And it was thought to be extinct.
Unbelie and where in Queensland.
Uh location's being kept a secret at the moment .
Oh it's a bit like the Wollemi pine.
Very similar yeah. Yeah it's quite a significant discovery because um they've found that an extract of the plant was um useful in treating um or improving cognitive thought process. More efficiently than current supplements like ginkgo and that sort of thing.
Good 'n' that I wuh I'd love a bit of that.
Rodian  are you  uh Rodian uh Rodian are you near another telephone. There's a bit of interference there.
Uh no I'm not actually.
Anyway keep going  that's bett that's better.
Now why do they call it blue Rodian.
Um it's got a slight glaucous uh sorta coating on the foliage. Uh and the r and the rest of the genus is quite a bright um healthy looking green.
W oh wow so this is different to the and it's a blue tassel fern now when do they think I mean obviously a new discovery hasn't been seen for a while thought to be extinct when do they think it will be available for home gardeners. I wanna get  me some.
Well the um pharmaceutical benefit should ensure that the propagation gets  underway as soon as possible uh and they're hoping to get it out into garden centres I'd imagine within a couple of years. But they're not a speedy plant to grow and so not the easiest to propagate so  it could take some time.
Extracting the pharmaceutical benefits would be hard I mean w uh would it be available in a capsule form or or uh. Is it the  is it the foliage  that has it.
There is one species in the genus that comes from China the plants come from sort of  um all over Asia and we've got nine species here including the blue one. Um the one from China is being s there's a capsule at the moment. But they've under undergoing trials to  um our native varieties are  uh as beneficial.
So more effective than than than uh ginkgo huh I need.
ginkgo  how do you know.
I need to improve my memory well thank you for that it's always wonderful I think to hear of uh an Australian new discovery there's um like the the Wollemi pine we just get so excited when we know that there's things that are out there that haven't been touched and to know that it has pharmaceutical benefits like so many of the plants around the world that haven't been found we just don't know what we've got until someone goes out and finds it for us so thank you very much.
There he goes Rodian thank you for that have a good day.
With the blue tassel fern very interesting more potent than the ginkgo biloba good for memory I'll certainly be looking out for that one.
Noel good morning. Noel.
Hi Noel.
Hello.
How are you.
Good thanks.
That's good.
Good Luke is it.
It's Luke yes and how's your memory.
Now I've got a proper one for you.
Oh right what.
Now this belongs to the uh bird of paradise plant. And it's called  all I can find out is nickname  uh sexy Lynne.
I knew it. I knew it.
Are you serious.
No I am that's all I can find out about it but it's a beautiful flower. I've seen it.
Is it pink.
Sorta p uh pink and white I think it was.
Yeah.
It was about twelve months or so it's turned and I've been trying to find out everywhere where do you get them.
Well d'y'know what I think it is. I think it's a h um oh duh duh duh I think it's a crab's claw a heh Heliconia.
A what.
A Heliconia.
Uh now hulih.
Hih huh lu okay Heliconia um heh uh H E L.
H E L.
E  C O  E C O I N uh.
Too fast for me.
Right  H E L E C.
S C.
E C.
E C.
O N.
O N.
I A.
I A.
I A and it's Heliconia  um does the l did the flower drop down.
Yeah.
Okay now the this is sexy pink is uh also it's another name I'm very happy th to know that it's called sexy Lynne . That makes me  quite a a happy yeah sexy pink it it's also known  in the florist industry. Now a lot of florists um use it and they sell it about twenty dollars for a a a  flower stem . It is a tropical plant Noel so it is very difficult to grow in Sydney. It I have seen it growing in gardens in Cairns and Darwin um when I do our Cairns our north uh north Queensland tropical duh tour we see it in gardens all over the shop it's a Heliconia ih very closely related as you say to the birds of paradise. Um thah ih sometimes they call them crab's claws now you can grow a couple of Heliconias in Sydney my friend Robyn has one called Heliconia rostrata which is a red flowering Heliconia crab's claw in a very hot um sunny courtyard with the western sun and reflected heat from the surrounding walls that's the sort of microclimate you need Noel to find it now you're not gunna find it for sale in Sydney you might find it for sale in mel um Brisbane. Uh so let's have a lookout and see if we've can find it we can do a little search in the nurseries in Brisbane but unfortunately uh it's a little bit too south here in Sydney to grow the Heliconia sexy Lynne or sexy pink but thanks for bringing it to our attention Noel and uh hope you have a wonderful weekend in the garden.
One-three-one-eight-seven-three is the telephone number straight back to calls in the Garden Clinic Nicky good morning.
Yeah hi um guys thanks very much for your program it's great.
Thanks for ringing in Nicky.
That's okay um I've got a question we laid um some sir Walter turf just before the heat wave.
Yep.
It was looking rather dodgy so we Seasoled it a couple of times. And then we had all the rain. And then  because we'd had some sewerage pipework done in February we ended up with a trench right down the middle of our turf.
Buh yeah.
So we've had to repair it we repaired it yesterday but what I was wondering was should I Seasol it again uh we have got a watering permit and should I start watering it again even though we've had all that rain.
No.
No.
Oh  yes.   no yes how  what  if y h you had to t take it out and then put it in.
We had to roll the turf back  over the trench.
Oh yes  water water with the seaweed.
Water so today.
Yep  even though it's rained  um the roots will be um will have sort of broken up a little bit and they  do need to uh to be repaired  and the best way to repair roots is with the seaweed solution so just water in that strip the seaweed and get all those roots to knit back together . Uh and that will happen very quickly particularly in this weather Nicky.
Okay so um what's the difference between that Charlie Carp and the Seasol.
Well um in well Charlie Carp's not seaweed.
Oh isn't it . Oh that's the fish stuff.
It's just mushed up  Charlie carps  from the rivers which is great all for all um plants really and uh the whole garden but really the seaweed is what you need  because that's what's g uh the vitamins and the minerals in it  that will help something um you sorta just get back into health after being uh shocked and  sort of m.
Yeah it's a tonic for plants.
That's it.
That you're a good girl . I might send you some . How about I send you some.
Oh that'd be great.
I'll send you some Maxicrop um to help you but how um it will take a couple of weeks to get to you Nicky  but um it will help in the long term and just uh y'know gyee uh water that strip in and get that to knit knit back together. Uh hold on the line we'll send you back to Daisy we'll get your uh address and we'll send you some more Maxicrop out. A good seaweed solution that one.
Good on ya Nicky stay right there it's nineteen minutes to nine we'll take another call in just a second but it is prize time. Now earlier in the program we spoke to Rodian about something rather special. And rather secret.
We did and it was just found in deepest darkest Queensland we don't know what  or we don't know ooh we do know what  and that's the question but we don't know where uh what was uh the little plant that has been rediscovered hasn't been seen for twenty-eight years and it has very interesting cognitive memory um uh.
Benefits.
Benefits.
One th I  I just I just thought I'd remind you there. One-three-hundred-s . You ih you need some one-three-hundred-seven-double that was perfect one-three-hundred-seven-double-two-eight-seven-three is the number and  the first caller through has won the Munns bag it's a it's a golf course green lawn fertiliser five kilo bag.
I tell you who needs that.
Two organic garden booster kih five kilo bags and the pack is worth fifty dollars thanks to Munns quality garden products Australian owned since nineteen-forty-eight.
Mark Mark Moraza needs that.
He why.
He just y'know he got ih he just he just arrived and he's upset at me . Because I was bagging lawn lovers and saying you know just relax with the lawn he's saying you can't relax with your lawn. He's so uptight about the lawn he feeds it nearly every week . He goes all of guys love their lawn so don't bag .
And we mow it and we mow it in a pattern.
It it oh   you've got your special way of mowing have you boys.
You have your special way you do y w your pattern and you leave us alone.
And then he asked me why would he bother with an organic lawn food. Because he just wants a green lawn he doesn't really care and I said well y'know y you have to worry about the the waterways and our river systems and he goes I don't care and then I thought y'know what I'm gunna put it differently. 'Cos he's out on his boat and he wants to catch a fish I said well y'know what  if you use an organic food you'll be able c catch more fish on that lovely boat of yours and that's I think actually changed his mind.
He has enough trouble ry not running it into rocks let alone  catching fish eighte I I've been there eighteen to nine hi Anita.
Hello good morning.
Hello.
I have a terrible problem.
Oh dear.
Um I had planted my olive trees about a year ago. Yeah sorta about a year ago and they just come up beautiful had all new growth.
Mhm. What's happened to them.
All the new growth died off it's looks like somebody went over with it uh with a  weed killer . All my olive trees are it's just frightening. Now.
When was this.
maybe it was that really hot day and then  really cold. I dunno.
Well why don't you just give them a little tip prune.
A tip prune.
Tip prune a little light prune all over uh and uh it might've been that very hot day we had last week or the week before uh temperatures uh particularly out at Toongabbie oh remember how hot it was. It was like thirty-five  thirty-eight-point-two thank you Luke. S trust you to remember such an interesting piece of trivia yeah so uh that would've been it ol um uh I was just about to call you Olive Anita those olive trees just coming into the spring season got a little bit burnt just tip prune it water with the seaweed solution and let's geh uh encourage a little bit more growth um with those olives and you can even feed at this time too spring is a good time to feed olive trees and don't worry at all it would've just been a little response to that hot day.
Thank you for your call sixteen to nine Two G B.
fish markets. Lorraine good morning.
Hello. Um hi Luke  look I hah I live at Rouse Hill I have been given a lilac tree.
Yes.
And I'm not sure quite how big it grows like where could I plant it. We get a lot of uh westerly sun.
Yeah okay well the lilacs probably won't like the westerly sun and they really do need the the cold climate . So uh um I mean suh just plant it um in a sunny spot.
Yeah.
Um perhaps uh a little bit shaded by the westerly sun it grows to about two six foot two metres tall  and um not a very thick tree but uh and particularly not in um around Sydney. Um but it it will grow it's m a very cold climate thing Lorraine but it will grow there's a good article on how to grow lilac in this y um this spring edition of the Garden Clinic magazine uh how to grow lilac uh which is great written by Sandra. But yeah two metres high plant it in an area that's um a little bit shaded from the westerly sun and off you go 'n' well rotted well good good soils. Nutritious soils and good drainage of course.
Could you put it in a uh in a large pot.
Well you could. Better in the ground.
Better in the ground.
Yeah 'cos it just gets too hot in a pot the the the  it's the cold climate thing and the roots will get too hot and it probably won't like it so much when it's in the ground of course its roots tend to be much cooler.
Okay.
Thanks  for your call.
Thank you bye.
I just got an email from Marie. Uh and she says oh I need some help with my lemon tree it's infested with citrus gall wasp uh so yes uh have a look out for that lumpy growth everyone uh on young leaf stems and midribs uh and even the fruit stalks of citrus tree it's cau um caused by citrus uh gall wasp. Uh and most citrus are attacked but grapefruit and rough lemons are the more most susceptible and and of course Marie's got it on her lemon. You do need to remove all the stems that have that affected um w uh gall uh unsightly gall g um growing and repeated attacks can weaken the tree and then of course they're uh unproductive so remove all the galls buh um from the trees place the galls in a plastic bag seal the bag and put it in the garbage. Don't put it in the compost um because you'll just spread it all around so yes try and get on to that as soon as possible and I I would do it this weekend.
Judy good morning.
Yes hi.
Hi Judy . Where are you.
sorry I had the phone on loudspeaker I was mopping the floors whilst I was waiting . Trying to make the most of my Saturday morning.
Multitasking that's what I like in a girl.
That's right. Um look my problem is my puppy. I adore him but  he's a dog that eats absolutely everything . Um he's a jack russell he destroys my camellias 'cos he loves their roots and he loves to eat them he eats the dynamic lifter   even digs into the ground and eats it and he's survived it of all things. But I have bindy all though my grass and I have been hand weeding it  but it just takes so long 'cos I think I have every weed   possible in my lawn um and it's taking so long and the one thing I can put up with everything apart from the bindi-eye.
Yes I can too ah  again nothing really uh that is safe I would just ue uh unless you wanna s spray with Bindii and keep him off it for a a week which is  sometimes difficult but yeah probably a weekend or uh or a week um I'd say y'know five days keep him off. Uh you could use the Bindii or again.
Would a weekend be sorry for interrupting would a weekend be sufficient  'cos it means I've actually gotta board him.
I know. Um there's no real answer for that one I mean as long as possible Judy is all I can say.
Okay.
Um and the yeah uh otherwise just keep with the hand weeding just keep him off as long as possible . And obviously do it on a hot day if you can and as soon as possible because they're growing at a at a great rate.
. 'N' can I slip in one other thing.
Yep.
At the moment he's actually sitting on top of my parsley and my um strawberries and my mint.
How old is he.
Oh he's nine months and he  sits on top of it and he eats my strawberries. And he eats the chives . Is there anything to discourage them. Or is there anything I could plant with them that .
No a big smack and .
And he's just chomped into anoth he's another beautiful .
When I had my two puppies my two cattle dogs they got into a lot of trouble Judy  uh and they had big smacks on their rear ends and uh and also I had a lot of uh I did put a bamboo fencing all around my garden I made this bamboo from lengths of bamboo and I just stuck them all in it didn't have to be that high because young puppies y'know they don't really jump that m high when they're young but I did use bamboo and I fenced all my garden beds particularly my vegie patch and my herbs. And I just made a little gate I wired it all up myself it took a weekend but ih in the end it dog-proofed my garden. Uh I trained the dogs after a while and they are impeccably trained now. Uh they won't even go into the garden they won't even walk into the garden they're just such good dogs it does take a while it does take that th fen to to build the fence so they know where they're allowed and where they're not. Uh and th that's what I did and uh and then just a little smack every time they go in or a squirt with water as Dr Harry says when they're doing something naughty a little squirt with water in their face.
Thanks for your call Judy we do have to move awa uh along it's eight minutes to nine back with more calls in just a sec.
Maureen good morning.
Yes good morning.
Hello Maureen.
Hi um my husband put manure down on the lawn oh about it's been down for a week . Wondering whether it's okay to mow or should you wait until the rain's finished.
Oh well I think the rain's finished now and the rain will have taken all of that cow manure deep in to the roots so yes I would say it was fine to mow today.
Fine to go . And could you quickly I need the garden sp the garlic spray that you use.
Oh just a couple of cloves of garlic it's really easy Maureen a couple  of cloves of garlic all m mashed up buh with the back of a knife or something or um put some hot water in.
Yeah I just know I guh I know what to do I just need the measurements .  you're in a hurry.
Oh well the it's just ih there's no real measurements you can just dilute that with  um one to ten  ih with normal water and  spr off you go.
And soak it for the night.
Theh uh uh uh save it for the night darling absolutely.
Thank you so much.
My pleasure thanks  for ringing.
Bye.
Bye-bye.
"Ends 1:18:39"""
""" Good morning everyone and welcome to a very foggy sort of an overca a very  very sort of strange day outside weatherwise isn't it. It's a bit murky. Good morning Mark Moraza from R P Data."
Yes good morning Luke.
Well you've just driven in what is it like out there.
Well it's freezing outside and I was I was I've just been in Cairns I came back last night  from Cairns it's thirty degrees up there so it was  cold.
You and Graham at a convention or something were you.
Well yes I saw his uh I saw his signs up everywhere I was I was shoulda probably stayed back and he could just pass me the phone and I'd be back on.
Yeah you shoulda yeah. You shoulda said here give me the phone now I'll I'll  I'll do the show from Cairns. Eight minutes past nine Mark Moraza is from R P Data Property dot com dot A U. We'll tell you about a fantastic service that his business uh offers the public in just a little while. Uh big uh real estate segment in the Daily Telegraph today uh big What Is Your Home Worth segment obviously they've cottoned on to the fact that  people like to know what their places are worth if they're looking at buying or selling that's what we do here every Saturday morning between nine and ten.
That's what we've been doing for the last couple of years  yes it'll take a very brave um forecasters . I I think you can take their advice with a grain of salt because forecasters probably two or three years ago said that's it. The market has topped out. It's as high as we're gunna get. This is it you should sell the uh the big time diveh uh investors in the city were saying sell out of the the city sell out of the the city. Two and a half years down the track those people would have lost an awful lot of money because the price growth in the past two years has been massive. Therefore  forecasters right now are just saying oh look it's we're in free fall it's market's crashing 'n' so forth look I I don't believe it. There has been a an adjustment. That adjustment in certain different suburbs has been greater than others. The difficulty with statistics and and this is what I look at all the time the difficulty there is  at the end of the day and there's uh I think there's a highlight of the five worst suburbs of Sydney the difficulty with that is that if there's not many sales transactions  the statistics can look off in that if there's only half a dozen transaction low price properties  all of a sudden you you can say gee the the market's dropped by fifty percent in this suburb. It isn't the case. It is not the case. There's a lot of stock on the market. That's an issue. With the number of stock and a b a b a buy a supply and demand type issues. But with I thi I I don't know the numbers exactly but there's something like five thousand new people that that are living in Sydney every week. Something something the numbers are just frightening. The stock will get soaked up in a I think a short period of time and I I I think this is gunna be a few months  and after three or four months we'll be sort of  the growth rates won't be huge like we saw in the last few years but that isn't the case you can't get growth rates in thirty 'n' forty percent a year forever. It can't go like that so.
There are some bargains out there Mark.
There are some barg. It is a buyer's market. It's good. It's there's some bargains out there. Don't be afraid to put your hand up at auction and uh  if you're not the underbidder or or or you're not gunna be um  looking or targeting the property. Luke's  looking at me strangely . I'm just trying to get what I'm m thinking across. If you're not gunna be targeting the if want the property and you wanna buy the property. The price is X. You are at Y. You should really negotiate with the owner until such time as you're owning the property. If you gunna walk away from it and say well the market's still gunna keep on going down down 'n' down  I think you might be shocked and I think that it might turn around look interest rates has remain the same last week. They remain the same. Auction clearance rates have are horrendous at thirty-five percent which is terribly bad. But it's a big day in the real estate calendar this week and today is the sale of the heart the House of Hearts.
And we'll talk about that in just a little while but it is a ve very very good cause.
It's a very good cause yes. It's for the Westmead's ch uh Children's Hospital for their their heart foundation. Everything is being donated. The the the block of land the builders the architects the pool the gardeners and so forth. Everything has been and it's for sale today so  if you're uh interested in buying a a fantastic property for a good reason  there's a sale today at eleven o'clock in uh Kellyville and we'll go through that. We'll actually talk to one of the organisers of that earlier on this morning.
We can a.
But we'll get to callers which are the most important thing.
That is the most important thing. That's why we're here. One-three-one-eight-seven-three if you'd like to register for  uh for Mark Moraza and Sydney Real Estate let's go to Norah Heads  and Lee is on line. Soldiers Point Drive. It's a four bedroom home I believe hello Lee.
Hi Mark how are you?
Oh I'm very well this morning.
That's good.
Norah Heads .
In Norah Head yeah.
What d type of property have you got for us this morning.
Well I've got four bedroom brick um two bathrooms huge rumpus room. All living reh areas upstairs with ocean views. Vaulted ceilings. Big deck.
Now upstairs and downstairs with the views uh the living. How do you mean the living areas. That's.
All the all the we've I've got um.
It's like a re.
open plan home.
Okay and the  kitchen and so forth  is upstairs.
Yes kitchen dining and lounge are upstairs. Um all windows across the front all doors actually are overlooking the ocean.
And the r the street that you're on the Soldiers  Point Road it is a bit of a main road isn't it.
Yes.
Now uh does it carry much traffic during the evening and morning.
Uh no. Through the day mainly uh traffic to the beach. 'Cos I've got the beach Soldiers Beach um two minutes down the road.
Okay well there's um  uh there's a wide price range in your s in in the whole of Norah Head. There's there's the median price is four-hundred-and-sixty-thousand dollars . A property on the street that you're on sold for around about three-hundred-and-ninety-thousand dollars . Another property in the street you're on sold for nine-hundred-thousand dollars . Uh there's a property on Bald Street that sold at over a million dollars . So it's just somewhat all over the place so it's very difficult for me to give you an accurate opinion. It all comes down to view.
Well yeah.
Now you're just saying that you've got a uninterrupted is it mm.
Oh only trees. I've got a um a hockey field directly across the road . Um and then from there on I've only got trees that line um the beach.
Lovely. Well  the median's around about four-hundred-and-sixty. I'd put it a little bit above that. It probably is gunna be in excess of half a million dollars. It could well be much more than that.
Alright thank you for you call. Let's uh go to Seven Hills Michael is  in Columbia Road at Seven Hills. Hi Michael.
Howdy. Yeah I'd like to find uh how much uh  it's my mum's house and she wants to sell out everything and retire so I'm just looking at  you know what she could get for it.
Well it's lovely. It's a pleasant little street. It's very quiet. There's some sales on the street itself um. The street itself I think uh are they w uh weatherboard 'n' and fibro houses on that street.
Nah it's mostly brick and they're they're starting to go two-storey. People are.
Oh I . He's he's just dropped out we'll get him can we get him back please. I'm sorry about that  he he's just dropped out it was  uh the wrong line there. I've uh got meant to get rid of Lee m he's he's gone. So we'll go to another call. C uh we'll we'll get him back. We'll get him straight back. Cathy hello.
Hi Mark Hi uh Luke. Um what I'm enquiring about is um a new development at uh at Maroubra Junction. I don't know Mark if you're familiar with it at all. It was the old Stockland mall  and uh they're building quite a large complex of uh uh shops shops below and a whole lot of units up above. Well  we're eh.
I very much like those type of developments. There's  one in um St Leonards called the Forum  and it's above the railway station.
That's right I know that one too.
It's it's fa I mean great concept. You're in a a a block of units at the ground floor you've got all your shops you've got  absolutely brilliant transport because you get  to the bottom floor theh you get onto a train.
Yeah so you like that concept.
I love it. I think it's  fantastic concept.
Yeah I wanted your opinion. And what but what it is though the thing is um you have to pu uh we're interested in a one bedroom unit with a study . And the price is um four-hundred-and-fifty- uh thousand dollars including like a courtyard. Some of them don't have courtyards they're a bit cheaper.
Okay now what do you think the rent's gunna be.
Wuh the uh the agent said about three-fifty.
Okay well I would call another three or four agents and ask them the same question what they believe the rent should be . Not the not the agent of course that's selling it . But other agents around the place and see what the what they believe in value. Three-hundred-and-fifty th uh dollars a week rent and you how much are they asking four-sixty.
Four y four or four-fifty anyway but.
Four-fifty.
Mm doesn't seem much sort of uh.
N n 'n' not much return at all . Yes . Well there could be an issue with the price.
See and another thing too you're buying off the plan. You you have to put a five-thousand dollar holding deposit  and they won't be ready for about three years . If we don't even know what we're buying virtually. We y'know w like would they show us the picture we give five-thousand dollars deposit  and then um.
Look a lotta people have done that bought off the plan and a lot of  lotta people have done quite well.
Oh look don't get .
But you can't lose five grand for three years.
Usually I tell you what. I w I I wouldn't I .
Yeah but the thing is you're buying at today's.
The only trouble is I'm just a bit worried with this. The new laws that have come out.
Don't worry about that. That's the  no no that's that's the way it is.
Oh okay then and you s co 'cos like there's a 'cos there's a s slump in the market 'n' I I y'know I'm just a little bit worried in case it goes down down down.
Well I think that in three years time I think we'll be outta that. Oh I think we will well and truly outta that  in three years  count down track. The idea with buying off the plan and  it it will take a p a fairly brave person to be buying off the plan now and having completion soon. Well the people that have bought off the plan say for instance twelve months ago  and are having to complete now. They have  they have they have issues. There's no question about that  there are issues in that in that in that area but.
So three years down the track you reckon it'd be safe to go ahead.
W well I tell you what. It takes a very brave person to do forecasting and I and I don't really like doing it.
Oh no that's right of course. I r I realise that and the market is just so up and down  the time too.
But it  historically if you wanna take figures back for the last one-hundred years or so.
It's only ever gone up.
It's only ever gone up by around about between eight and ten percent per year  year in year out. And real estate is not a short investment. It's not like stocks where you buy it today and sell  it in three months time. It's a medium to long term investment. So look I think it's fairly safe. I think you you might wanna go back to the developers and and try to negotiate on that price of four-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars. But uh look I I wouldn't be afraid of buying something now and then in three years time. The idea is that today's value is four-hundred-and-sixty and the price in three years time it might be five-hundred-and-twenty-thousand dollars . So you're buying at today's value and you're paying it in three years time. That's the only difference.
Okay but get some other get some other quotes from other agents Cathy and find out what that rent should be. Eighteen minutes past nine. We'll take a break. Mike poor old Michael from Seven Hills he's back. We'll get back to him in just a moment. we'll also head out to Auburn  uh we cou we'll h be heading to Liverpool and St Clair. We could be coming to your neck of the cor neck of the woods. And Mark will do Around the Grounds we'll look at auctions today with Cindy Martin and we'll find out what's happening at uh w at Westmead today at Kellyville.
Yes it's oh I think it's a lovely story the House of Hearts is up for sale today so if you're interested in buying a  if you wanna take your heart with you and you're interested in buying a property  there's one for sale here at eleven o'clock and I think it might be a good buy. It's definitely going to sell there's no question about that.
Eighteen after nine Two G B.
Twenty-two past nine. We'll go back to calls um and uh Michael from Seven Hills we we're sorry about that Michael you back.
I am yeah.
Yes okay. Michael the you you've got this th three bedroom home in Columbia Road at Seven Hills.
I have yep. And it's a it's a they're mostly you're asking about what sorta houses they're mostly brick uh and there's quite a few going up  the second storey.
Well I've got uh a wide pri a fairly wide price range. There's sales in the high threes early fours. And there's sales in the high twos . Which is  telling me there's s really two different styles of homes. It's fairly big homes with the four-hundreds and small little two three bedroom  maybe even fibro type homes at the high twos. It's  seems to be a very good buy. Seven Hills is only a stone's throw from Parramatta and if you're buying a property at at two-hundred-and-seventy or two-hundred-and-eighty-thousand dollars there that seems to be very very good value. The highest price in your street so far  is four-hundred-and-twenty-seven-thousand dollars  and it was achieved at the very very end of last year. So  that's the highest price. Your mum's property is it uh kitchens and bathrooms they're fairly original are they.
Nah yeah it is actually. It needs quite a bit of bit of a reno and the other thing is I she's looking at selling it to family like I might take it over so I'm sorta looking at  y'know what's what's it we what it's really worth and sort of.
Well  I tell you what. If you wanna do it that way  what it's really worth is to get a valuer . To come in and perhaps even more than one valuer. Perhaps two or three and get them to do a valuation draw a line through the centre and that should be the price you pay. But ih.
how how would how does Seven Hills Compare to Blacktown. Does it make a big difference being in uh difference like Blacktown's obviously gone through a boom but.
Tt wuh  Seven Hills has too. Seven Hills has too. The only thing with Seven Hills it's a little bit older. That's all . It's a little bit more original uh in Blacktown there's a lot of new developments and a lot of big brand new homes whereas Seven Hills've got still got y'know the old fibros and weatherboards  uh all over the place but look Seven Hills is much closer uh to Parramatta C B D than than Blacktown is.
Yeah wuh especially this one. This is Seven Hills sort of south. In the southern end of it. Tt closer .
Well just imagine the C B D of Sydney  and what close to Sydney for instance Newtown. Now you gotta pay a lotta money if you wanna live in Newtown. Because it's so close to the city . And Ultimo and so forth so  that's a big issue and Seven Hills is so close to Parramatta C B D  that that's what drives the price of Seven Hills is the proximity to the main hub centre which is Parramatta but I mean some people call that the centre of Sydney.
But then Blacktown's just the next suburb along and  you know depending on how clo so it's how mu does it make it that much different.
You're just dealing with different type properties in Blacktown you got newer and bigger homes.
I was just thinking more like along the lines of the name like if you've got the street address Blacktown or Seven Hills just the  does the concept d d you know does sev does Seven Hills just have a better price because it's not because it's not Blacktown.
Oh yes that ih that that is a that is an issue uh uh and that happens all over Sydney. It happens in in the North Shore when you when you the uh the train line cutting off from south to east. So you get um for instance like South Turramurra doesn't achieve prices as well as North Turramurra or Turramurra proper. And you're getting of course you're getting the the uh Cremornes and Cremorne Points. Ih ih if it was called Seven Hills Heights you'd probably get more money but it it's all relative . Uh.
Seven Hills South which see which s  to some people's mind South seems to do it . But um.
Look it's all relative if you  you can't move the house. That's that's one point about real estate. If it's uh you you can't move the bl the block of land if  where it is is where it is and that's will get the price that it should achieve with the area that it's in . Get a few valuers I think it's probably worth mid threes  um but certainly.
With other with other people going up  which is this sort of over the last few years there's it there is quite a f you know more and more people going up the second story . Would that do a dramatic change in you know if you get say another .
Probably not.
nah.
No probably not. Uh I.
Would it be like the hills you know like like the hills area   they sort of went.
That's right. Look I've put it at three-fifty. If you put another storey on it'd cost you probably a hundred-and-fifty that's owes you  uh four-hundred-and-fifty five-hundred-thousand dollars and you're not gunna get a profit outta that. You're not gunna sell it for six-hundred or seven-hundred. It's not gunna happen so  yes . Answer the question neatly.
Okay.
Alright thanks.
Thanks Michael thanks and thanks for being patient. Twenty-six minutes past nine here at Two G B.
As Mark was saying earlier something wonderful is about to happen in Sydney at eleven O'clock this morning well we hope we hope this property sells at eleven O clock. We're talking about the House of Hearts. And uh on the telephone line is Gilly Paxton who is the project manager. Gilly Good morning.  Hello Gilly.
Hi I'm good how are you very exciting out here this morning.
Yes it sounds you're doing face painting and so forth so it's a good family day out for everybody isn't it.
Absolutely it's a wonderful family day out and you're very kind calling me the project manager. I'm just just the person who's looking after it for the Children's Hospital at Westmead. I think all the credit this morning has to go to Landcom and Cosmopolitan Living in Integrated Design and all of the hundreds of people who donated so much time and energy and labour and materials and equipment et cetera for us to build the house in the first instance . And the noise you can hear now is the generator for the jumping castle.
Oh fantastic the jumping castle'll be up and running the proceeds go to the Children's Hospital at Westmead the cardiology unit. It's a wonderful idea. How long has it taken to get to get from nothing to this.
Ooh um Landcom probably first came to us with the idea oh well over eighteen months ago. Um and of course we were absolutely stoked at the notion of doing this with them. Um and Cosmopolitan Living the builders came on board very quickly as did Integrated design. In fact throughout the whole of the project we have been inundated with people saying yes I want to help I want to help. And so today is actually the culmination of all of that hard work. Um and fingers crossed and we're all very excited and it is gunna make um an enormous difference to cardiac kids at the Children's Hospital at Westmead. We're talking about children who may have a heart the size of a twenty cent piece. Um and we have surgeons who are able to operate on that. Um completely different to adult cardiac surgery. Um and we would operate on probably close to five-hundred children every year. And so what this project is doing is enabling us to do that even better.
What's the house worth. Mark what do you think.
Well  I don't wanna p uh preject pre  pre-empt any pricing but I would suggest it's a it's a brand new home. It has the top of the line everything. It's got a pool. I think it's got five bedrooms has it Gilly.
Yeah it sure has.
It's got five  bedrooms. En suite. It's it's a great prope. It is brand new. It's got top of the line stuff. I wuh it wouldn't surprise me it would not surprise me at all 'n' I've looked up Kellyville 'n' the area. The the median price in Kellyville's well in the high fives early sixes. It would not surprise me if this achieved well into the six-hundreds. Uh uh. The other thing ou ih th that I wanna uh say is that  not only is it a good cause but there are uh there there could be some other companies out there that might even help this along some of the big ends  of town that might want a go. I remember the um th The Block. One of the  properties was sold to Crazy John  as a marketing ploy. But it's for a good cause so .
This is for a much better cause than The Block.
the the crazy uh the Crazy Johns out there the A G Ls the Telstras the Foxtels and Optuses. They might want to uh scramble to the telephones and see if they can ru tt rumble up some money and uh can get out there and put their uh their cards up and uh buy a great property at a good uh for a good cause.
Okay. Now I believe that the uh the Parramatta Eels will be visiting there today  as you mentioned there's house there's house painting  . There's face painting .
Well it is a real estate show.
They get the they get the rollers out  . And just and just cover you with Solarguard . No there's face painting there's a sausage sizzle the Parramatta Eels are coming out the the jumping castle's out there the Kellyville rural fire service will also be there. You're there until early this afternoon. The site is Blue Bell Circuit  corner of Samantha Riley and Redden Drives at Kellyville. It's behind New Home World.  And uh Gilly we'll have to leave it there but I'd be ve very interested to talk to you after the auction  if uh that should happen before midday and find out how much it went for. Can you do that for me.
Absolutely. It should all be over by about eleven-thirty.
Okay l let us know  let us know as soon as you have a result will you.
Sure course I will.
I'll put you back to Linda su uh su uh to Daisy 'n' we'll we'll get your details. Thank you very much Gilly Paxton  who's been working hard along with a lot of other people to get this up and running. The House of Hearts at Kellyville. Proceeds going to the Children's Hospital at Westmead the cardiology unit. If you're after a fantastic home. Five bedrooms swimming pool landscaping it's all been donated. Looks like a terrific place. Uh it might be the home for you today. It's nine-thirty we got news with Brianna coming up this is Two G B.
Yes good morning and welcome back to Sydney Real Estate it's twenty-one minutes to ten after ten Doc Graham with Your Health. And then Andrew Moore is hosting a very very special version of the Continuous Call Team this afternoon as we remember Chippy Frilingos. Terrible news this week we're s everyone at Two G B just shattered there's  not much more you can add. Twenty-one minutes to ten. His funeral will be at s uh uh at uh Saint Andrew's on uh on Monday. I believe. Let's go back to calls. Jenny is at uh Park Road at Auburn. Another house at Auburn. Good morning Jen.
Hello how are you.
We're well.
That's good. Um I was just wondering for some information on my house at two-hundred-and-thirty Park Road  . It's um.
You've just opened yourself to a lot of phone calls from r real estate agents now Jenny.
Oh have I.
Yes you have. But continue on.
Okay well I'm not actually putting it up for sale at the moment I'm just making enquiries.
Oh good. I hope all those agents are listening to that as well.
Yeah . Um now I just wanted to find out it's a two-storey house.
How many bedrooms. Has it got six bedrooms.
Six bedrooms yes. So there's three upstairs. There's a lounge room bathroom and the three bedrooms. Uh and downstairs there's three bedrooms a lounge room sun room dow dining room back veranda  laundry. You know all the normal facilities. The kitchen's only relatively new and the bathroom  is only relatively new.
Okay that's a lotta house sitting on I've got you down at around about just under seven-hundred square metres.
Yep.
Um  it's not a quiet street you live on is it Jenny.
No but the house is situated back on the block of land  so that means that it's not right on the on the street and if you notice the other houses are a lot m more forward than ours so our house is virtually in the middle of the block.
It is yes I can see that . The theh both  th in fact both of the houses left and right're like exactly what you're saying both the houses uh are set much more forward  than your prohpropry .
Yeah so that does give us uh a buffer for noise and you know it's one of those things that you get used to  once you've lived there for a while so that's never been a um you know  a problem.
One of the uh. Can you remember what you paid for it back in nineteen-seventy-nine.
Uh yes we paid  oh twenty.
No you didn't you paid a little bit more.
Thirty-four.
Thirty-eight.
Thirty-eight. Sorry yeah sorry.
Isn't it fantastic as time progresses and you look back and you can say gee whizz. I mean we're looking at the prices today and say gee whizz that seven-hundred-thousand oh that's an awful lotta money . We look back in another thirty years time and say gee that was cheap. I mean  like like this. At the time when you bought it  back in nineteen-seventy-nine thirty-eight-thousand dollars was probably a lot of money.
It was a lot of money. We thought wow how are we ever gunna pay that off .
Well I just hope all the other people out there that are s that are considering buying real estate and have said no no no this is it I'm not gunna buy it anymore. The property market's gunna crash so let's just sit back on the sidelines again . Um over time it's gunna race away from you and you won't be able to buy another property. So  that's a bit of a lesson for everybody . You don't don't hold back because over time this is what happens. Thirty-eight-thousand dollars in nineteen-seventy-nine and now today it's worth about six-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars.
Six five zero.
Yep.
Okay. .
Across the road sold for four-hundred-and-two-thousand but it's only a three bedroom. It is a busy street. It's got a lot of accommodation. And Auburn  uh w when you talk about supply and demand there is a lot of demand for property in Auburn. And there is probably also a lot of demand for the type of property that has a lot of accommodation like yourself.
So about six-fifty Mark.
Six-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars today.
Not bad s considering you bought it for thirty-four back in uh seventy-nine. Jen well done. Thanks for your call. To Michelle now at Sans Souci. She's Rocky Point Road. Hi Michelle.
Morning.
Morning.
Um we've m we've bought the place in Rocky Point Road.
And what are you doing. You've had enough and you wanna sell out.
No no no we've just bought it actually. We moved moving from an apartment  we've had enough of . Um it's a two three bedroom place . It's um new kitchen 'n'.
It's not a quiet street again. Rocky Point Road.
No no. It's a noisy street.
Yes that's okay . Are you okay with the noise.
Well it's it's not too bad it's got um  double glazed windows and   shutters so . we had an inspection at six o'clock and when all the traffic was there and there was. Couldn't hear anything so it was okay.
Yeah I've said this a few times. The the the I guess the most frustrating p uh part of the traffic is the traffic or the trucks that that drive past  when you're fast asleep at four o'clock in the morning you're you're dreaming nicely and all of a sudden you get shocked awake by the rumble of a truck  coming past. That's that's what frustrated me so much when I lived on a train line um . It was when you're in a dead sleep and all of a sudden at at at the four-thirty train to go into the city just get j shock you awake and just frustrating. But anyway . Continue on.
Okay. It.
You've negotiated it quite well . It seems to be that it was on the market at around about s uh seven-hundred-and-thirty seven-hundred-and-forty-thousand dollars . And you brought that down to closer to seven-hundred-and-twenty. What did you actually pay at the end of the day.
Six-seventy-five.
Wow. Six-seventy-five . Great buy . Two words great buy. Yep. Fantastic . Well done. You've you uh good negotiation. You got a good buy. Theh there's some good buys out there and I think uh this one is one of them. You you've there's some good buys out there in the real estate world at the moment . People are negotiating and their prices. This one has been negotiated quite heavily 'n' you've you've done a good job of doing that . You got a good buy and I think you'll look back over time and s and and you'll make a profit.
Oh good. So  y what do you think of Sans Souci as the area in general. Like I know we're on Rocky Point Road but.
Sans Souci's great. It's very exclusive. It's a very small suburb. That's wu uh I guess one of the advan like s like a McMahon's Point of the world. Uh  Sans Souci's uh o on a water type front suburb. It's a tiny little suburb which  quite frankly. There's hardly any properties in it and if you want to be part of Sans Souci then you've gotta buy one of the very few properties that are there . Just like McMahon's Point I think there's something like  I remember this fact.  looking at data and statistics all the time. There's something like seven-hundred properties in muh McMahon's Point . That's it. And if you wanna be part of McMahon's Point then you gotta be one of those seven-hundred properties that are purchased. So  a a case of supply and demand. There's a lotta people that wanna live there . Uh but there's only a few people that can afford it. And I think Sans Souci is a similar type suburb. Very small  waterfront property. It's got a really nice indeed  I'm just thinking of the geography but it's got a really nice little headland it's tucked away  it's it's away from the sorta traffic and so forth . Other than your property . Uh but well done. Good negotiation. Six-seventy-five. I think it's a great buy.
Well done . Thanks Michelle.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye now.
Yeah good onya Ozinvest it's uh uh tell you what there are a lot of people investing in Queensland.  I've just come back from the Gold Coast. They are building the largest  um  residential apartment block in the southern hemisphere. It will be eighty-nine floors high. And we were we're having a look at uh a property in the Peninsula. You know that b.
Yes I know the building.
You know the building. We were on the fortieth floor and we looked straight across at floor thirty-eight  of this thing. So it's gunna be  it's gunna be th a a third the size again of the Peninsula which is huge. It's uh it's just amazing. Apparently it has a sway  it has a sway uh uh leverage of a meter. In in high winds. I mean it's just .
Oh no that's fantastic isn't it.
Ih ih if you think of the movie The Towering Inferno. You remember how tall that thas whi ih is . Un unbelievable. Eighty-nine fl stories so people are obviously investing in south eastern Queensland as we thought they would. Cindy Martin is out and about today. Cindy good morning.
Hey Luke hey Mark how you going.
We're going very well. Do you know much about this big  block in in uh on the.
actually seen it 'n'. Well I when I say seen it I've seen all the plans and everything for it. It's uh it's gunna be massive absolutely massive.
Well  theh theh there's gunna be another shadow on the unfortunately gunna be another shadow on the Gold Coast beaches.
Yes I think that. A very very big shadow.
A very big shadow which is a shame. El all the bathers are gunna have to move sideways of the shadow if they wanna get a tan.
That's exactly right.
But but think of the su  but su think of the sun cancer it's saving  .
That's a good one. That is very good Luke.
Thank you.
You are very quick aren't you.
Sponsored sponsored by the Cancer Council this building.
That was good wasn't it.
Okay Cindy what's happening today.
Well I ca I shouldn't admit this. Do you know what I just did. I just turned up at an auction that's not on till next Saturday. Isn't that smart. So I think I'm on drugs today.
No Cindy you're a bit early.
You said it for me. But brilliant auction it'll be great for next week so we'll do Groundhog Day next week and I'll do the uh uh talk to you from there next week.
Are you going out to Kellyville today.
Um no actually I'm not going out to Kellyville. I've got the other auctions on. There's um someone else from work going out to Kellyville but  that auction'll be fantastic. I wish I was going out to Kellyville today.
Mark thinks it will get up into the sixes.
I I think that's probably right. I think Mark's probably on the nose there. So .
And I t. More importantly  I w it'd be nice to just see some big companies go out there and do some  perhaps some stunt marketing and uh put their hand up for a very very good cause. I think everyone should scramble to their telephone call the boss and say can I buy a property today boss. It'll be a great marketing tool.
I thi I think that's that's right 'n' I you know  goes well for for their sake 'cos a lot of people have put a lot of effort into it and uh you know it started with the idea from Landcom giving them the land and then it's just moved on from there and it's it's taken um you know it's taken a long time to put it all together 'n' I spoke to one very excited um lady from Westmead Hospital yesterday and she said she just can't believe it's all coming to uh to tail end now so. Yeah so it'll be that'll be a fantastic auction.
Well we'll find out wha what they uh what they get about eleven-thirty this morning. We'll cross back to the house. Wha so what auctions are on today.
On  today I'm heading off to Paddington. I hope that auction's on today. No I'm sure that one's on today. Uh there's a terrace going up in Hargrave Street Paddington and expecting a lot of people at that. Big auction for today I think is probably Lodge Street at Glebe. There's a house going up there there are hundreds of people interested in that house so um that's gunna be a big auction. There's uh there's quite quite a few up today so it'll it'll be a good day.
It should be.
There's a surprise I'm just getting flagged down by the police for talking on my mobile phone .
You're kidding. Hope they're listening to us. Please  don't book her .
Tell me you're on hands-free.
I  I know. I should be on hands-free.
You should be on hands-free you naughty.
He's flagging me down.
You're a naughty girl .
Yes. I just hope.
I'll let I'll let you go.
I'm gunna have to pull over .
I'll let .
Oh what a
I do I don't know what to say.
What a shame.
She should be on hands-free. Very very bad example. You see kids don't try that at home . Seven minutes to ten now there she goes.
She's not having a good day. She's gone to an auction that's starting next week   and she's just been flagged down. Seven minutes to ten we'll take a break here at Sydney Real Estate .
Delwyn is it.
Yes Luke and Mark how are you.
Good good morning how are you.
Good  thank you good.
Now. What's the answer.
It's the House of Hearts at Kellyville.
It is indeed.
Well done whee.
You'll be coming in to Two G B on Sunday the sixteenth . You'll be having lunch with us here.
Be lovely.
Or brunch. It's eleven o'clock start . And then you uh uh obviously you're in the draw for the trip to China.
Wow very nice.
Get airfares to Beijing transfers four nights accommodation trip to the great wall it should be fabulous.
Oh I have to learn to use chopsticks before then.
I can play them on the piano.
Well so can I but will that help.
No . Apparently not. It's all thanks to China National Tourist Office Helen Wong's tours and the Golden Century restaurant  and Two G B eight-seven-three. Well done Delwyn.
Thank you very much .
Lovely to talk to you.
and I enjoy the. Look forward to the show every Saturday too .
We have so much fun on this show.
Oh we love you we love listening.
Okay thank you we love you having there . Stay there Delwyn  so we can get all your details. Now this this auction today the House of Hearts at Kellyville  it is on site at Blue Bell Circuit. Corner of Samantha Riley and Redden Drives at Kellyville it's behind New Home World. Bring the family. There's fun for the whole family as as I said face painting not house painting.
Bring your cheque book.
Bring your cheque book and uh every cent that goes on this house goes to Westmead Children's Hospital  the cardiology unit. It's a very very good cause and uh everything's been donated so it's just a sensational community effort five to ten.
Just very quickly one to uh ten. News is coming up Rod Burridge from uh First National's just rung up. G'day Rod.
G'day Rod.
Oh g g'day Mark and Luke just very quickly. I think Mark what's important with these uh these home units these new ones and this and the high rise ones is who the builder is and I think if buyers check out the builder  quite often it'll help them decide on uh whether to buy or not or negotiate. And and I think .
And when you're saying checking out the builder it's got to do with uh going to the body croport  and looking at what has happened with the older buildings that they've built and see what some of the issues in in their building techniques.
Exactly and I think ask the agent who the builder was and certain builders who we won't mention  uh y y you you'd you'd probably favour one over the other . I'm a I'm about to sell a a unit in a high rise one and I think if  yeah the vendor and the agents get their heads together the right way they get a very good price.
Alright Rod thanks for that gotta go news is on us . Thanks for your call mate bye-bye. There. Good advice yeah check out the builder thank you Mark. Mark Moraza  from R P Data property dot com dot A U is where you'll find him. The doctor is in next Dr Graham we can start taking his calls  because the surgery is open.
""" The doctor is in the lines are open one-three-one-eight-seven-three Two G B dot com click on the Dr Graham feedback icon and  we'll attempt to uh answer as many emails as we can and get through as many calls as we possibly can good morning Doc."
Good morning Luke how are ya.
Not too bad.
That's good. Beautiful day I thought we were gonna get some rain yesterday but it didn't happen. We need it badly don't we. Really badly. Oh goodness gracious me. What sort of a week have you had.
I've had a very relaxing week cos I had a few days off.
Ah.
Went up to the Gold Coast and just did nothing for a week it was beautiful weather.
Except when that wind comes up about two o'clock in the afternoon it rips up there doesn't it.
It really does I've gotta fly to the coast tomorrow very quickly and be back Monday night but uh got some work to do up there but gee whizz  it's a beautiful spot there's no doubt about that isn't it.
Now there's a wu wonderful activity happening out at Kellyville today we m did mention this earlier. It's the House  of Hearts  house that's up for auction.  It uh proceeds go to the children's hospital at Westmead now this whole house the building the landscaping the pool everything  has been donated  and so it's a hundred percent profit going to the hospital uh their cardiology unit. They've got doctors there that are operating on little kids' hearts as big as a twenty cent piece it's just .
And you should sy see the size of the doctors' hands. They're huge and how they do it I don't know.
So we'll cross back out to the auction and find out how much they got after eleven.
You know something even more amazing than being able to operate on people's hearts like that  is knowing in advance of going in there exactly what's going on. And the ultras the ultrasound techniques that they've got to ultrasound children's hearts at the moment  is unbelievable.
Absolutely. All also we've got um uh All Things Medical and Men today.
All things male and medical at quarter to twelve today. Very interesting one today uh at wuh uwh it's centred around the diseases that have a common symptom erectile dysfunction. Should be very interesting we're interviewing a doctor from Perth Dr Dennis Cherry  who's the director of the medic uh the Perth Human Sexuality Centre. Should be very interesting.
Well also with Mother's Day being uh tomorrow it's a good time to look at osteoporosis and vitamin D. We're gonna talk to Dr Toomie from James Lance Medicines Research Unit at the Prince of Wales Hospital  about exactly that very shortly.
Are we. Good that should be really good.
It will indeed so ih uh it's lots happening here today on Your Health with Doc Graham 'n' Luke Bona here at Two G B. Julie good morning.
Good morning.
Morning Julie Dr Graham speaking.
Oh how do you do um.
I'm well.
I'm glad uh.
I'm glad too.
What about phlebitis
What about it.
Yeah what about it. I think I've got it.
Okay.
I'm uh ih and uh you know the advice is keep your leg up.
Yes.
And I said well you know it really is very difficult to be walking around with your leg in the air.
It's not easy is it.
I mean you could could put a flag on it 'n' something or other but it really is it's difficult.
Well let's talk about what it is first of all.  It's an inflammation or an infection of the veins of your leg.
No infection.
Um  probably a low grade infection I would've thought.
Oh really.
Yep. How old are you.
seventy-eight.
Don't sound seventy-eight  good for you . Have you got any varicose veins.
Uh one up the top of the the I've had both hips replaced.  And uh this I have to tell you occurred after I broke my ankle.  Which was about four years ago.  And um the cast that they put on was  too tight . And the after a week m and my toes turned blue and looked like blue sausages  um uh the cast went from the toes to the uh knee   and uh I had it it had to be cut off because I just couldn't stand it.  And then they put another one on.  And for ten weeks I had the other one on  I reckoned it was still too tight and I ended up with two D V Ts.
Oh goodness gracious me.  W the the bottom line out of all of that whether it's the cast whether it's the brah when wi.
Started from.
Whether it's the cast whether it's the broken ankle or whether it's the clot  is that the venous return to your heart has  been interfered with . The other common reason  is varicose veins . Now what happens is you do get a low grade infection or or inflammation in those veins and it's very difficult to avoid getting it. The person who told you to elevate your leg is absolutely correct and as you quite rightly point out it's very di   time. Have you got any telephone books underneath the foot of you bed.
No.
That's number one.  Now the reason you put them underneath the foot of your bed  is to raise the foot of your bed and to help the venous drainage. Now  that at least prevents the veins from becoming congested for about eight or nine hours a day and that's a great start.  If you don't they're congested when you get up and you don't give them a chance to get better that's the first thing.
Well I used to put my legs against the wall at night.   before I go to sleep.
But elevating the foot of the bed is the first thing. Number two to improve the circulation somewhat it is often wise to take some soluble aspirin if you are not on a blood thinning agent. Number three often  when they do get acutely inflamed they are infected and you may need some antibiotics. So there we are simple common sense things elevate the foot of your bed two telephone books soluble aspirin and occasionally antibiotics.
Val good morning.
Good morning Doctor.
How are you?
Oh pretty good.
That's good.
Um I I do have trouble though um most nights  cramps in the legs . Um sometimes it'll happen two or three times in the one night and the only relief I get is to get up and walk around.  Um during the day just walking around the house I don't have any problem  but if I want to do a serious walk  I do develop cramps in the calves . But the the night cramps can be .
Night time cramps are the awful aren't they they're terrible.
Yeah they are. It could be and and they're in various parts sometimes it's just the big toe  sometimes it's the underneath the arch uh sometimes in the calves um I did consult my G P who suggested uh I should have my electrolytes checked . Uh and he did a full blood test  but everything was  in normal limits.
Yep. We don't really know what causes cramps we've we used to say it was salt depletion but I don't really think that it is. We know they're very common number one in the elderly number and I guess you're not as young as you used to be none of us are. Uh number two in those people who've got varicose veins. The treatment is relatively simple . And it's good old fashioned quinine. It's been around for a long time quinine  um and it's n what they put in tonic water so I'm not saying that you have a gin and tonic before you got to bed  wha wha I know Luke would like to have a gin 'n'  um way to go  but what I am saying is ask your G P whether a little bit of quinine mightn't help the problem.
Well I did suggest that to him  and he actually hadn't heard of it but somebody else had told me you know just drinking tonic water.
Not you can't get enough quinine you've gotta drink about twenty gallons of tonic water.  So that's not good for a number of other reasons you won't get any sleep for another reason if you did that.
Right . The the the quinine I take it is um prescribed is it.
Uh yes it is . And it's called Biquinate and you you get it uh from the chemist on prescription.
Right.
Okay.
Okay thanks very .
It works all the time. Thanks Val.
Okay bye.
Bye now.
Thank you for your call it's a quarter past ten this is Two G B. It's Mother's Day tomorrow and uh a good time to look at osteoporosis looking after our bones and vitamin D. We'll do that in just a moment.
minutes past and Mother's Day tomorrow.
Indeed Mother's Day tomorrow and by definition our mothers are older than all of us and as ladies get old they amount of calcium in their bones starts to get less and less and less. On the line to talk to us about osteoporosis is Dr Jan Toomie from the James Lance medics Medicines Research Unit. Jan good morning.
Good morning how are you.
Well thanks how are you.
Good thank you.
What is osteoporosis.
Well osteoporosis is simply Latin for holes in your bones.
Right.
And what it means is that usually as we age um the the normal holes in the bones which we all have otherwise we'd be too heavy to stand up  get bigger and bigger and bigger and the bone gradually just becomes weaker and that predisposes us to fractures with minor trauma.
Now as we get older that happens normally doesn't it.
It does um and unfortunately what people think is is normal is also actually uh you know brings them to be at risk of fractures.
So is ih by definition of the of the fact that we are getting older do we all get osteoporosis.
We don't all get osteoporosis because the the definition of osteoporosis is a certain degree of bone loss. We all lose bone as we age though.
Right now we we know that it's quite common in women or we seem to think that you know it's a matter of course in women. Do men get osteoporosis as well.
They do certainly do um not as much as as women but it's a a major unrecognised health problem in men.
Doctor why is it worse with women sorry l Luke here.
Um because women start off with uh less calcium in their bones to begin with you know they've got smaller lighter bones to begin with  so they can't afford to lose as much bone as men.
Jan I would have said that women are always more trouble than men anyway but I wasn't allowed to say that on air.
High mai high maintenance is what you were actually about to say wasn't it.
High maintenance is exactly right.  What do we do Jan about people who have osteoporosis.
Well the first thing we need to do is make sure that their their calcium level their calcium intake is adequate . And um that they're getting enough exercise.
'N' that's important that exercise is very important isn't it.
That's right because exercise actually strengthens the bone . Um but we know that that's not enough in people who already um have osteoporosis. Um they need to cut down on the amount of coffee they drink because caffeine unfortunately is bad for your bones . Uh they should stop smoking if there aren't enough reasons to stop already . And they need to cut down their alcohol intake . Um and then if if they actually have osteoporosis then there are very good treatments uh available.
What  what is the principle of treatment of osteoporosis.
The the principle is to slow down the rate of bone loss. There are there are two types of cells in the bone and and one type builds up the bone and the other type breaks it down  and basically you want to change the balance because when you have osteoporosis the cells that are breaking it down are working faster than the cells that are building it up.
What about vitamin supplements.
Um vitamin D is a useful supplement um people used to think that in Australia because we get lots of sunlight  and listeners might know that most of our vitamin D is is made uh with exposure to sunlight . Um people used to think that it just wasn't an issue in Australia  but um there've been some very interesting studies which show that there're quite a significant number of Australians despite how sunny actually do have sub-optimal vitamin D levels  and the reason that we need vitamin D is that vitamin D is the thing that tells us to absorb calcium.
Okay  we're talking with Dr Jan taoh uh Toomie who is from the James Lance Medicines Research Unit at the Prince of Wales Hospital we're talking about osteoporosis with Mother's Day tomorrow it's a timely reminder to uh look after our bones. Dr Jan there's a caller online from Bankstown that wants to ask you a question can you take it.
Sure.
Okay Anne from Bankstown Dr Jan Toomie.
Yes Doctor I'm eighty-eight and I've had o osteoporosis with the fractures for years  not knowing anything about it. I think it would be wise to talk to younger women  I uh over the years after I was uh near menstruation time I used to feel that the top of m oh the bottom part of my body didn't want to hold up the top . Then I had fractures or fracture in the lumbar area didn't know what it was just thought oh that's a terrible sharp pain  and then later on got some up further in the back. Now I've shrunk about six or seven inches   and in pain all the time I take Evista and Actonel  to prevent more fractures but life is a misery  because you're never out of pain the back burns like it's on fire I can feel cold but my back is always very hot . Is there anything else I could do I don't suppose so because.
Well um unfortunately no I mean what what you've found is that once the fractures have occurred  you can't undo that . Um all you can do is try to prevent more fractures and and what you're taking is is uh just y'know it's the right thing to take . Um but you're quite right about addressing the problem with younger women to try to stop the fractures occurring in the first place.
Yes  well I didn't know anybody with it I didn't  know the symptoms or anything about it.
Well well one of the unfortunate things is that often uh there are no symptoms until you have a fracture. Just bone loss itself doesn't cause any pain. Um and so it it's something that the whole community really needs to be aware of as as a risk for all of us as we get older.
Jan it's a really common complaint isn't it osteop.
It is it's very common.
And uh one thing we need to stress too is that the treatment is not immediate and I you know  it takes a long time to even slow the process down doesn't it.
It does yes you certainly can't sort of take one pill and think well that's good I've fixed it.
All over. Jan thank you very much for your time it is important and it's relevant with Mother's Day upon us tomorrow  be aware of osteoporosis.
Yep and the Mother's Day tomorrow good time to start thinking about that. Dr Jan nice to talk to you.
And to you thank you.
Dr Jan Toomie from the James Lance Medicines Research Unit at the Prince of Wales it's twenty-five past ten Two G B.
We'll take a break and we'll come back uh by the way your cue to call to go into the draw for the trip  for two to China includes airfares  to Beijing  four nights accommodation.
Isn't there something about a yum cha brunch.
Yes. Are you gunna come back for that on the Sunday.
Might.
Dude for a free feed I'm sure you will.
Oh don't be like that I just like Chinese.
It'll be Sunday the sixteenth of May we'll have a Chinese yum cha brunch thanks to the Golden Century restaurant here at Two G B. Your cue to call coming up between now and twelve but you must stay listening.
to calls here  on your Your Health with Doc Graham.
Merilyn good morning. Merilyn good morning.
Good morning Dr Graham. Uh I was going to phone you a couple of weeks ago. I've had a hernia operation going on.
What sort of a hernia hiatus hernia  or inguinal hernia.
The one near the navel.
Umbilical hernia.
Yeah.
Right.
I had a had my gall bladder out twelve months ago and I had a got an infection after it and after having the infection operation I got the hernia . But what I'm um concerned about this morning is that um well I've had a lot of heartburn very  severe heartburn . I take Zoton  twice a day and that's  what doesn't hold it when I'm having a bad day  I have to drink milk . Um and I'm having funny bowel motions the day before yesterday I had to race to the toilet  and it was semi solid and and yellow . It was yellow and then this morning at four o'clock I was on the toilet   and I just had to sit and let it work it's way through . But um got very severe  stomach and abdomuh  abdominal pains and I'm just hoping it's a bug.
That sounds exactly  what it is just because you've had a hernia operation uh any sort of operation gall bladder operation hernia operation  doesn't mean that you can't get other things wrong with you and you still do you still get tonsillitis you still  get appendicitis and you can still get gastroenteritis which sounds like what you've got.
[C4 Nah  and because of the operation that's stirring the my tummy up.
No. You would have the cramps whether you had the operation or not.
Oh right yes.
It is due directly to the fact that you you've got some diarrhoea . And whatever's causing the diarrhoea is causing the cramps. It's not related I would think to the hernia operation or the gall bladder operation  or the infection . It would it may be  if you didn't have the diarrhoea and it's always a relief to me as a medical practitioner when somebody comes in and they say I've got this funny pain in my tummy and I say you had any diarrhoea and they say oh yeah I haven't been able to get off the toilet for a week 'n' I say well beauty  theh y'know that that that to me means that is more likely than not going to be the cause of your of your problem.
Yeah well it's  not actual diarrhoea it'd be a one off.
Change in bowel habit no  no no that's fine . Wouldn't be too concerned about that and I'm sure it hasn't got anything to do with the hernia operation.
It's ten thirty-one time for news headlines.
You're listening to Your Health with Doc Graham it's twenty-three to eleven.
Tom good morning.
Oh good morning Dr Graham. Uh it's Tom here as you know.
Yes Tom.
Uh look I wa I'd like to talk to you about uh postrate  um problems . Now I'm eighty-one years of age . Uh I don't get up through the night I'm very lucky there . Last examination was the postrate  was quite normal  but  my last blood test  my um P S A had doubled.
To what.
Oh now I that I don't know  but what I was wondering what is the next procedure if your P S A is up which I don't know what the level would be  before you have to have something else done and then I'd like to know what that is.
Okay. L let's talk about P S As for one second. A P S A is a specific blood test which tells us the s the about your prostate. It doesn't tell us what's in your prostate but it does give us some indication of the size of your prostate . The P S A is elevated in people who have got cancer of the prostate. The P S A is elevated in people who have big prostates. And the P S A is elevated in people who have infected prostates. So it's a non-specific test. The most important thing that I said in all of that was  people who've got cancer of the prostate have elevated P S As. Now if you've got a normal size prostate and an elevated P S A or a rising P S A if you were one of my patients I think that should be looked at.
I see.
What I would sugge well if you were one of my patients what I would suggest to you is that you should go and see  a urologist and he would do an ultrasound guided biopsy of your prostate . In other words he would use an ultrasound to determine exactly the size of your prostate and he would stick a needle in your prostate and look at the tissue that he withdrew underneath the microscope . Now that is not terribly difficult procedure although it's not terribly comfortable it's not all that uncomfortable either and it gives us some idea a good idea really w of whether you have a nasty cancer growing in your or a cancer growing in your prostate.
I see.
Now that's the thing that we've gotta be concerned about. Whether or not the elevation in your P S A means that you have a prostatic malignancy. And I would really sugge I'd go back to your G P and have a chat  to him and say to him do you think that it's worthwhile going to see somebody about this.
I see and they take what do they take a biopsy then do they.
M he would send you to a urologist  and I think he would take a biopsy yes.
Good. And and what about infection problems like um ih is is that minimum. Like.
After the biopsy as a result of the biopsy.
Yes.
Um it's possible to get an infection after you've had a biopsy done yes. But not having the biopsy done because you're frightened that you might get an infection is not reasonable . Because if you've got a cancer of the prostate there you want to know about it and the sooner you get it uh looked at the better  and believe me if I had to have a malignancy I would prefer to have a prostatic malignancy than just about anything else. Please go and speak to your G P and ask him whether he thinks that you mightn't be w better off going to see a specialist.
Claire good morning.
Oh good morning Dr Graham and Luke. Um I don't have a problem myself Doctor but last week you had a grandmother speaking about her eight year old grandson.
Yes who  he he w he didn't seem to have the eye hand co-ordination.
Um.
Couldn't ride a bike.
one thing wasn't it.
Beg your pardon.
Well I I didn't hear all of that last week but when I came in on it it was he he had p very poor co-ordination.
That's right  he he couldn't  ride a push bike they'd done everything.
That's right now he's just so similar to my gra eight eight year old grandson . My daughter um a friend recommended gymnastics . She has him in which he is improving he has been going to that for about six months now  and also another thing  that I'd like to share what that lady may be able to do um is take him to a occupational therapist . Now that's where my grandson goes once a week she takes him out of school the occupational therapist said it's theh they have hypermobility.
Hypermobility.
Hypermobility yes the and the m the muscles are too flexible . Now my grandson had the same problem. He played soccer he couldn't at really play. He would skip along the soccer field  and we used to think what's the matter with him you know he played he didn't play football he does swimming he still learns swimming  he doesn't like putting his head in the water  like that lady's little grandson . And I thought that .
I uh I know a couple of adults who're in that boat too.
Pardon.
I know a couple of adults who're in that boat too . No names no pack drill but my wife might be listening she gunna kill me when you get home.
Yes and also it's uh I don't know about that lady's grandson but it's affected my grandson's writing ha ha he has poor writing . Um but they're working on it.
Claire Claire that  isn't exactly the same that is not quite the same sort of story that that other lady had because there are other symptoms especially the writing. The writing would concern me . And I would make sure that he has his hearing assessed  uh and that he possibly goes and sees a um paediatrician  because although that other lady ch last week said the only thing that that child couldn't do was ride a push bike.
Oh did she as I said I didn't quite I I wasn't in on it from the beginning.
No uh  the only thing that the only thing that he couldn't do was ride a push bike. You've got a few your grandson has a few more symptoms  and I would definitely make sure that his hearing's okay and d and question whether he doesn't need a referral to a paediatrician.
Thanks for your call Claire.
Alright thank you Doctor bye.
Bye now . Eighteen to eleven o'clock Two G B.
Julie good morning.
Good morning Dr Graham. Um I just wanted to ask you  I always seem to be inundated with sebaceous cysts . Uh are they a result of uncleanliness or dirtiness or.
Not really um you probably have an oily skin and they are just really blocked sweat glands they're like big pimples and they're really a nuisance they're awful things.
I know they're horrible.
And they c do they get infected Julie.
Quite often yes.
How old are you.
Oh me uh I'm fifty-two.
Have you been checked for sugar.
Uh I uh well a while ago yeah.
Has anybody in your family got diabetes.
No we haven't actually.
Are you.
I did I did I had  a test and for about a couple of months they thought I may have been I may have had diabetes but then it proved to be negative.
Did you have the two hour sugar test the glucose tolerance test.
No no they just took a blood test.
Mm Julie I I would go back to your G P and and there there're a couple of issues here. Number one you you probably have an oily skin and they are blocked sweat glands so they're the sebaceous cysts. Number  two. They can get infected and it is not uncommon once you have one infected to get a whole crop of them infected as the result of the infection itself. But number three you really should make sure that you haven't got diabetes have you any children.
No I don't I'm single no children.
Okay and your mother or your father didn't have diabetes.
No no.
Okay. It's worth while getting that checked out again. The the gold standard to determine whether you have diabetes or not is a thing called a glucose tolerance test. It's a two hour test and they take about four lots of sh uh blood from you and from that you can tell absolutely whether you have diabetes or not so here we are  sebaceous cysts can be quite normal recurrent infections may be because of the infection that doesn't quite go away but be careful that haven't got an underlying problem diabetes which is the cause of the whole lot.
And your chance to win a trip for two to China coming up soon between now and midday today stay listening for your cue to call.
Amy good morning.
Hello.
Hello Amy.
Yes Dr Graham good morning.
Good mor.
Uh I had a question to the doctor the uh about osteoporosis . I missed out . I would like your advice please. Under my uh nephrologist uh instruction  I am not allowed to take any vitamin D no calcium nor vitamins C because I have got calculus history   my kidney . At the same time I have been on the Fosamax since four years now   but I'm on the Prednisone for my uh polymyalgia and Warfarin because on account of my mechanical valve . So I'm sort of you know I don't know what to do.
Okay Amy I don't think I'd do anything other than what you're doing at the moment . Now there's no doubt that the Prednisone causes ost well makes the osteoporosis far more pronounced far quick far more quickly . But the Fosamax on the other hand should to a degree counterbalance that . One of the things that really was said was that the treatment for osteoporosis is not quick. It is a long term treatment . And you don't get magic cures it takes months and months and months and years  to see whether the medication that you're taking is doing any good . But you are at risk. From the sound of your voice you're  well you won't see sixty-five again. Um would that be correct.
Yes.
And you're on the Prednisone which is not helping your osteoporosis but  the Fosamax will counteract it so it's like a seesaw if you like. Um the Prednisone on one side  the Fosamax on the other side which one's going to be heavier which one's going to win . And I don't know the answer to that question but I they are on opposite sides of the seesaw they're certainly not on same side but I wouldn't change anything I'd be going exac along exactly the same way as you have been and wait and see what happens.
Maureen good morning.
Good morning Dr Graham.
Yes.
Um I was wondering uh if you could give me some information on P M R.
Polymyalgia rheumatica.
That's it.
Okay. We just talking about that.
Yeah I was diagnosed um about fourteen months ago with it . Um I've been on Prednisone . Um when I f was first diagnosed it was twenty-three . Um I went down. I.
This is the dose of Prednisone you're talking about.
No my blood test was .
Oh ye yeah so right.
Twenty-three . Um I got it down to six-point-seven  so I started cutting down on the Prednisone . It went up to twenty-eight . I went back up on the Prednisone.
You didn't need the blood test to tell you that it wasn't good did you.
No. Um it came down again to three-point-six. I cut down to one and half. The last three weeks I've been in absolute agony . Um I rang my doc this morning 'cos I had a blood test last week it's back up to twenty-three.
Right okay. Polymyalgia rheumatica is an auto immune disease. That means your body decides that it wants to attack itself  and attacks your muscles and your joints. I must confess that I have been fooled by polymyalgia rheumatica uh on three or four occasions  it has just an unusual presentation. It can present as aching joints it can present as aching muscles it can present as aching knees. One thing about it in its acute phase it is you are sick. When  you have polymyalgia rheumatica you look sick you feel sick you feel absolutely miserable . I think probably the hardest part about polymyalgia rheumatica is diagnosing it  and I've certainly missed it and I make no bones about it I've missed it on a number of occasions because it isn't something that you think about. The diagnosis is usually made by well in my case anyway by a uh rheumatologist who I've sent people to . And the treatment is to reduce the inflammation  we don't know what makes the polymyalgia rheumatica start we don't know what makes it stop we don't know what makes it better we don't know what makes it worse but what we do know is that if you go onto Prednisone in significant doses you feel a lot better. Now I'm not a big fan of Prednisone never have been. It can.
That's why I tried to cut down because I know the side effects from it myself and that.
That's right . But it can save your life . And under these circumstances uh it ih you really haven't got a lot of choice.
There's nothing else you can  do for it.
There is nothing else that you can do for it but you do need to be under the care of a competent rheumatologist and I get the feeling and I'm just saying th I just get the impression  that those people who stay on the Prednisone a little bit longer than they should in the first instance in other words if your numbers go down to three and you feel okay and you immediately immediately go off the Prednisone uh the polymyalgia rheumatica tends to bounce back. Sometimes if you can stay on it just a little bit longer it is my impression and I say my impression I have no figures or nothing other than just a a a a G P's nose to back it up that those people don't seem to get the recurrence as quickly. But uh you do need to be under the care of a competent um rheumatologist.
Marilyn good morning.
Oh good morning Dr Graham. Um it sounds like it's all women's problems this morning .  Um I've my problem is .
We have we've got Matters 'n' Male 'n' Medical coming up so we'll balance the equation a bit later on.
Okay um my problem is uh I went off H R T in January and I took the you know I went through the doctor you know downsizing it and everything  then was off it for a couple of months and then the hot flushes and the sweats all came back again  and everything so I've chosen to go back on it again  so I don't know and I had been off it once before and when I took it again it more or less kicks in straight away  so I get rid of the hot flushes. Well I've it's uh pro uh it's probably only been a week but I'm still getting you know it hasn't doesn't feel any different. I'm just wondering how long does it take before the H R T .
Almost immediately is normally the answer to that question provided you're taking enough of it. Which H R T are you taking.
Uh it's um  it's the  it no it's the the tablets the ravera .
Premarin and Provera.
Yes yes  at six-point-two-five . And uh five milligrams.
Yep. You may have to increase the Premarin a l the uh Premarin a little bit but  go and see your G P. The uh Marilyn the only thing that I do say to you is  this is an informed consent decision. You realise that there is an increased incidence of breast cancer an increased incidence of uterine cancer. Make sure you have your breasts checked regularly make sure you have regular pap smears. Because it is an informed consent decision but normally it kicks in pretty well straight away it may be that you need a little bit more oestrogen.
Welcome back to Your Health with Doc Graham the lines are open on one-three-one-eight-seven-three Two G B dot com is where you'll find us on the net but can we can please  yeeeh you've got to keep your emails brief Doc haven't you d um don't tell us a short story just give us it quickly because it's very very hard to write through and and wade through it all so if you can be as as brief as you can that'd be great. All m uh m Matters Male and Medical coming up in about uh fif ooh twenty-five minutes.
About twenty-five minutes yes. Um and it very interesting uh we're gunna have a talk today with Dr Dennis Cherry the medical director of the Perth Human Sexuality Centre. Um brought to us by uh Lilly Pharmaceuticals. And it really is talking about a lot of diseases that have one common symptom. Chris are you there good morning.
Yes yeah hi Doctor hi Luke how youse doing.
Good thank you how are you.
Yeah good thank you. Look I've actually um I think you answered some of my problems or some of my questions with the last calls . I've been o on Prednisone since October last year um for an on un undiagnosed muscle problem which  which they s seem to have um y y'know problems diagnosing and I'm just worried about long term effects 'cos everyone tells me  that that it gives you cataracts that it gives you osteo  that that it causes cancer and .
Prednisone is a wonderful drug Chris but it must be used m absolutely totally and completely properly. It can save your life but it can also kill you and therein lies its paradox. Um who dy who couldn't diagnose what was wrong with your muscles.
Okay um uh m uh it's my G P sent me to a rheumatologist.
Yes.
Um and she ee he he was sending me for all tests and I went for a lotta tests like um you know bone scans and X rays and wha.
And did he say the magic words polymyalgia rheumatica or not.
No he he didn't he said I was too young for it like I'm I'm I I'm I'm only forty . And I'm pi and he said to the to that he's never heard of it in in that age um but what it is it actually started in ih ih in my thigh muscles and sorta spread up to my shoulders . And um and the last few days I I've been trying to cut back ih some Prednisone I actually halved the dosage myself and I can feel coming back into my shoulders  and and without it I've um I'm like I really do have trouble functioning. I get so stiff and .
Chris if you ca a Prednisone can be believe it or not addictive too. It was marketed in the original cuh case as an anti depressant because anybody on Prednisone feels really good  and then they go off it and they feel really bad. Prednisone does a couple of things to you. Number one it can increase your chances of osteoporosis. Number two  it can g it prevents your body from fighting infection. Number three it can put up your blood pressure. Number four it can give you liver changes it can do all sorts of things . But it can save your life. What I suggest you do is this. I suggest you go back and see the specialist and you say to him Doctor have you got a diagnosis for me  do you think it is wise for me to stay on Prednisone for the next I don't know how long  um because if you haven't got a diagnosis for me then what the hell am I taking the Prednisone for. And take it from there. But  it can cure you it can save your life but it can also kill you so be careful okay.
Okay great thanks a lot there.
Bye Chris.
Bye-bye.
Margaret good morning.
Oh good morning Dr Graham and Luke. Doctor uh two years ago I had severe pancreatitis.
Right.
Uh and.
That's a really really that and renal colic are the two worst pains that you can have.
Yes. Well I uh ended up I had the an abscess on the pancreas  and I lost half my pancreas  and then they had to um do a bypass . In now at that stage I was sick quite a lot and couldn't keep anything down for months  and had bile  so last night I was sick again and it didn't come on till about half past twelve which was about six or seven hours  after I'd eaten  and it was only bile that I was bringing up.
Okay. How long ago did you have the pancreatitis and the operation.
The la well the operation was six years ago  but I the last attack I had was two years ago.
Right and you've been absolutely pain free since then.
For that yes.
Okay.
I actually stopped the vomiting about five o'clock this morning because I suffer with Meniere's . And I had some um Stemetil suppositories that  I took to stop the vomiting this  morning.
Margaret I think you've gotta approach this from a common sense point of view. Your concern is that it might be the pancreatitis coming back.
Yes.
And c the common things occur commonly. Now just because you've had pancreatitis and an operation on your pancreas and a bypass  doesn't mean that you can get a l number of other things that cause you to feel sick. The best guide is do you feel or did you feel last night like you felt two or three years ago when you had this problem before. And I guess if you really thought about it the answer is no  because from the sounds of things this morning it's settling down. What I would suggest that you do is in the f common sense basic principles. Don't go and gorge yourself over the weekend. Take small meals and often and try and stick to the clear fluids over the weekend a little and often . If the vomiting is still there on Monday morning it certainly is worth a trip back to your G P. But my my guess is that over the weekend if you just have uh Bonox or chicken broth or.
I can't have Bonox because it's two high in salt for the Meniere's.
Right that's fair enough um then what else can I think of just some chicken broth or my mum used to make a great chicken soup with a little bit of rice in it and just  the broth off that with a little bit of rice  nothing fatty nothing greasy and little and often so if you had  a cup of a cup of chicken broth and drank it over a half an hour and then a couple of hours later another one and then a couple of hours later another one  rather than sit down to meat and three veg and some gravy  and if you're still uh vomiting on Monday I'd be going straight back to your G P but my gut feeling is that common things occur commonly and it's probably just a passing viral .
Fourteen past eleven.
Anne good morning.
Good morning Dr Graham and Luke. Uh Dr Graham  my mother's just been put on the last three months uh I hope I pronounce it correctly for you the injection D E C A.
Deca Durabolin.
Yes  and Caltrate  the tablets . Mum's had uh breaks in both of her arms  and broken ribs . Now what I'd like to ask you is yesterday mum had her third injection . Now our G P you can't sort of discuss things with him I don't know why but that's how things have been the last few months . I tried to ask him yesterday how long mum will be on the injections . And as I said I couldn't get anything out of him would you be kind enough 'cos mum has naturally osteoporosis . I was wondering if you would be k so kind 'n' explain to me does mum stay on the injection plus the Caltrate for life or is it only a set period of time.
Anne can I ask you who put her on it.
The uh the G P.
The G P.
Yes.
Okay. Deca Durabolin is a hormone injection. It is designed it's called Nandrolone and it's really quite an unusual hormone it is designed to put calcium back into the bones. But does suffer from a lot of the complications that uh other hormones do in that it does put your blood pressure up and a few things like that . It is however very effective ih in putting calcium back into the bones. My feeling is that she's probably going to be on that for the rest of her life. How often is she having the injections.
Uh the once every month. The  eighth of each month.
The eighth of each month. I would think that she's probably going to be on it more or less for the rest of her life however what I would suggest she do is ask her G P if she could get a referral to an endocrinologist who specialises in osteoporosis . There are so many ways of treating people with osteoporosis that I believe it's always wise for somebody to hold have a guiding influence over that and as a G P yes I I can initiate treatment for osteoporosis but I'm often more comfortable if somebody who sees a lot of osteoporosis uh has a hand in the treatment even if it's just to say yes Dr Graham you're going okay I don't want to change anything.
May I ask uh one question should you have regular blood tests with anything like this Dr Graham.
I look I'm a great believer in doing r le regular blood tests on on everybody 'n' by regular it means different things to different people  but for example I like to get everybody in my patients' cholesterol checked every six to twelve months depending on whether it's been up  evr especially if they've got high blood pressure at least once a year I like to get their kidneys checked out and if they're diabetics I like to get their what's called haemoglobin A one C checked at least twice a year. So yes it's worthwhile getting regular blood tests done  it's even more worthwhile if you're on something like Deca Durabolin.
Yes you're listening to the doc  Doc Graham. Until midday today then the Continuous Call Team Andrew Moore heading up th the uh the team this uh this weekend. We'll take a break this is Two G B.
Michael good morning.
Oh hi there good morning Doctor. Uh Doctor I got uh just a question if I may uh I sneeze like heck when I when I change temperatures like if I get from the cold and go into a car with the heater on  I sneeze uh uh um a real lot and that's the same as though if I get outta the shower and I don't dry myself real a warm shower and don't dry myself real quickly I sneeze again like that or if I I go out of a warm house outside without a lotta coats on I sneeze like heck again .
Has this been happening has this been happening all the time Michael or it is just something new.
Oh no it's been happening for a while. Few years I s'pose.
Okay uh  excuse me your nose is the reason you sneeze is you get an irritation in the mucous membrane of your nose . Now you can sneeze wuh in the Spring and the Autumn because of hay fever which is pollen actually irritating your nose . But fairly obviously you've got a sensitive nose  and the change in temperature is irritating your nose . Now I don't think that there's anything that you can do about it but equally  I don't think it's ih all that serious either.
Nah.
If it did become serious  you could reduce the sensitivity of the mucous membrane of your nose  by taking one of the over the counter antihistamines that are readily available such as Claritin or Telfast and  they do tend to reduce the sensitivity of the mucous membrane. The  other thing that your doctor could do if it really became a problem  would be to give you a nose spray a cortisone-based nose spray. That  that also reduces the sensitivity. Be  careful. Do not be temperted  to take stuff like Sinex which has got pseudoephedrine in it and you can become addicted to it . Not serious. Don't worry about it and the only reason you'd do something about it if it really causes you some trouble and there are a number of treatment options available.
Yeah no it doesn't cause any major problems you know it doesn't it doesn't turn into the flu or anything . I've had the flu needle and that so.
No that's fine don't worry about it okay. Thanks Michael.
Cathy good morning.
Hi good morning Dr Graham. I've just found out that I'm pregnant . And um.
Congrat con congratulations.
Oh thank you so much.
First one second one.
Number two.
Number two and what've you got at home.
I've got a boy three .
A boy three.
Yes.
You know I have been known over the years to to be part owners in in race horses  and I have a um a a boy a girl and a boy  and I hope this one's a girl for you  because I reckon that's a king's wish  and if I ever get to name a race horse again it'll be king's wish.
King's wish. Why don't we send her some flowers.
Gee that'd be great.
We'll s we'll send you can we send you some flowers before you even start.
Fresh flowers dot com dot A U. Okay when you're finished with dr Graham we'll put you back in the waiting room and uh Daisy'll look after you okay.
Oh thank you.
Now tell me what can I do to help.
What I've had um last year I had this really unbelievable virus  um that left me sort of wuh I've been told sort of like with chronic fatigue.
Yes.
But I've been fighting it off naturally.
Right well  yes you're gunna get fatigued now  with this pregnancy.
I know what so what can I do I don't I didn't wanna leave it too long so I've just persevered and my blood count's fine but my E S R's always high.  And I've seen a professor and everything.
This is prior to falling pregnant.
No this is just last week so would that attribute. She thinks it's a non-specific test and so  she doesn't know  if it's because of the pregnancy also but it's like forty-nine.
That is a little bit high yes.
Do you think.
It's a little bit high okay. Which part of the world do you live in Cathy.
Um si I live in Maroubra.
Right.
Yeah and  also I've got really bad neck and jaw pain from the virus.
Okay let's take this in two parts.
Yeah.
The mai how far pregnant are you how many weeks.
I I'm only six weeks.
Right so you're only just pregnant.
Yeah.
The first thing you need to d and did have you had any miscarriages.
No.
So you had one live child this is the second time you've been pregnant.
Yes.
Okay. The first thing you need to do is ensure a successful outcome for this pregnancy.
Yes.
So irrespective of what else is going on in your life you've got sore arms you've got sore legs you've got a sore back you've got sore something or other  the first priority is this pregnancy . Therefore you need to go and see a competent obstetrician  and say look I've got an elevated E S R  uh uh nobody's quite sure of the significance of it but  I am pregnant and I want a successful outcome to this pregnancy . So everything else takes second place at this point in time  to the pregnancy . And irrespective of what the reason for the elevated E S R is as long as that baby's growing well  and growing healthily and is normal  then everything else can be put on hold until after the pregnancy . So don't try and look for multiple answers  just concentrate on one thing  and that is the successful outcome of this pregnancy.
Um once you spoke about a j a person with jaw pain and and I think you send them off to  a specialist or.
They had T M J arthritis but Cathy.
Yeah.
Theh just just hang on half a tick. Let me just say it again . Because this is really important to get this message through . The the area that you should be concentrating on  is the bit between the knees and the navel . That's the baby . We're not gunna concentrate on our jaw if it's sore then we have might have to take some panadol or some disprin for it  but everything else goes on hold and I mean everything  until this baby is delivered successfully . Now yes you might have a sore jaw yes you might have a sore toe yes you might have a headache but it's all secondary  to the progress of this pregnancy . If you can sit back and say this pregnancy's going along alright and I can't find a reason for having a sore toe or a sore knee or a sore neck I'll just take something symptomatically that's not gunna hurt the baby and we'll worry about it after this baby's born.
Okay theh good advice there I think Cathy.
Okay thank you.
Stay right there s 'cos I wanna send you some flowers  w when are you  when are you due.
Um January five.
Oh it's a while  to go  it's only six weeks.
So that means thirty uh  thirty-four weeks to go.
Do do you want the flowers now or when you when you have the baby.
No give them to her now  don't be mean.
I'll  stay there Daisy will get your details Cathy 'n' there's the advice from the doc I could I could sense that you don't have a dog and bark as well coming on there but.
[E1 No no no  we haven't done that today.
Haven't had one yet today but I can feel one coming on.
No well only if it's appropriate.
Only if it's appropriate.
Yes.
Alright then.
Your chance to go into the draw for a trip to China coming up very soon also Matters Male and Medical we'll be talking with Dr Dennis Cherry the medical director of the Perth Human Sexuality Centre. Is that correct.
That's indeed correct.
Okay and uh if you have any male problems that you would like to discuss we'll give you plenty of opportunity between quarter to and midday.
We're gunna keep Dr Cherry on the line and he may well be able to an help us el answer these questions. Uh Brian good morning.
Oh good morning Doctor. Um  run wide and stepped in the side. What can you.
Wide and step inside.
What can you tell me about Laetrile there's a mate of mine uh who's uh riddled with cancer over there in Western Australia . And he won't have his chemo he says no that's not on he's had a lash at that but he's uh uh having um these infusions  of Laetrile what do you n what can you tell me about it.
Not a lot Brian. Laetrile's been around for a long time and it certainly doesn't form part of the mainstream treatment for cancer . It's supposed to have come from almonds or something like that.
Uh the uh the kernels of the apricot.
Apricots I'm sorry it was apricots  I apologise. Um and interestingly enough uh it's it's been around for about forty years  but um the composition of the Laetrile now is not the same as the composition of the Laetrile some years ago . Um it certainly doesn't form part of the mainstream treatment but I'll tell you one thing about somebody who's got an incurable disease. You never take away hope . Under any circumstances  you don't take away hope . And that's the most important thing which you can do. If he thinks that it's working it's it's working. He's opted not for mains t not to take mainstream treatment  support him. That's the only thing that you can do.
Good on you mate.
See you Brian.
Thanks.
Earlier this morning we were talking about the House of Hearts which was up for auction today um proceeds going to uh Westmead Children's Hospital.
Yes indeed 'n' what was the result do we know.
Well Gilly Paxton is one of the organisers she's there now Gilly good morning.
Good morning again how are you.
Well we're very very well well. The auction was at just after eleven o'clock was did it start on time.
Yes we did we started pretty much on time but unfortunately the house didn't sell this morning it didn't meet its reserve and so it's going to go up for sale um on Monday and so anybody who's missed out hasn't been able to have a look at it um you still have a great chance to buy this wonderful house. But for the hospital um it was very exciting because Landcom and the minister actually gave us a cheque for half a million dollars pending  the sale of the house   such good news yes.
Isn't that good.
So it was a wonderful morning for us um a and obviously for the lucky person who's eventually going to live in this splendid house um so  maybe good for them it didn't sell too.
It didn't sell what's ih what is the reserve.
Oh I don't I don't think I I duh I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you that so so I probably shouldn't.
Oh okay . Uh it didn't meet the reserve so  Mark Moraza was thinking it would get six-hundred to six-fifty. It didn't make the reserve yeah well ob you you can't tell us what the reserve is so um we can only guess it's gunna go for sale for the sale now .
The the the vendor's bid was five-eighty so that probably gives um people an idea of where they were looking um .
Five-eight wm ma I think Mark was probably on the money six-hundred  to six-fifty.
I'd say  he was on the money.
Probably was yeah.
Alright listen thank you for that I'm sorry it didn't sell um because that means the Westmead Children's Hospital misses out but they they will eventually get something.
Absolutely and as I say we did we did actually get a cheque for half a million dollars today from Landcom  um you know sort of ahead of the sale so we're very fortunate and the kids are very fortunate um and it's just been the best project.
Alright Gilly thanks for that keep us informed will you.
Thank you will do  bye-bye.
Gilly Paxton oh there you go didn't sell but.
Oh it's a funny market at the minute.
It is indeed.  It is indeed. It we'll take a break it's nineteen to twelve Two G B.
Luke thanks again once again to our sponsors Lilly Pharmaceuticals we're in a position to bring to the attention of our listeners  the importance of one common symptom. It's possibly the clue that they need to recognise that they might be at risk of an underlying disease process. The symptom that all these disease processes have in common is erectile dysfunction. No-one talks about this problem  yet it's estimated that about thirty-nine percent of males  between the age of forty and sixty-nine have got erectile dysfunction and of those twelve percent have complete erectile dysfunction. Yet this is a problem that always happens to somebody else. Well it's my intention as best I can  to encourage any of my listeners who've got this problem to discuss it with their G Ps. On the line to tell us about what else might be wrong if you've got elecrectile  dysfunction  is Dr Dennis Cherry the medical director of the Perth Human Sexuality Centre Dennis good morning.
Good morning Graham.
How are you.
I'm very well and yourself.
Very well thank you. Uh Dennis could you tell us a little bit about the Human Sexuality Centre.
Well it's a s uh centre that we have here in Perth uh which looks at both male and female sexual dysfunction across a broad spectrum of uh sexual disorders running from  what you've just spoken abou that is erectile dysfunction  along with uh disorders of ejaculation premature ejaculation that is coming too quickly or even retarded or delayed or absent ejaculation  uh through to loss of libido through to uh transgender p dysphoria uh even aspects of uh gay sexuality  and uh that is across the full spectrum of even philias uh paraphilic behaviours and fetishes and those sorts of things.
All sorts of things.
Yes.
Uh Dennis if there're any of our listeners out there whose neighbour's got erectile dysfunction they haven't got it themselves. Uh their neighbour's got it. What else might they be at risk of.
Well w what you have to remember of course is that the penis is nothing more than a glorified blood vessel . And as a consequence of that any of the disorders that affect blood vessels will affect the penis . And hence if you look at the issues that are associated for example  uh diabetes heart disease peripheral vascular disease hypertension disorders of
cholesterol excess cigarette smoking and of course a lack of exercise and uh central truncal obesity. And now we're getting down to the lifestyle issues  which affect the blood vessels  and tha and that becomes extremely important.
Okay heart disease  are you sy are you saying that somebody who has erectile dysfunction might have heart disease.
And also the corollary that is vice versa. Anybody that's got heart disease will have a h strong probability that they're going to have erectile dysfunction  and in fact there are now increasing evidence in the literature that those men that have erectile dysfunction  it's a lead in to the fact that there's a strong probability that they may have uh sub-clinical or non s asymptomatic heart disease. So either or  should make you wake up and sit up and take notice and think mm perhaps I ought to be  much more aware of what's going in inside my body. If you think that the coronary arteries are about the same size as the cavernosal arteries which are the tiny arteries that lead into the penis . And if you accept the fact that there's a probability that what happens throughout the body is fairly equal then you can see that there is good reason to believe that if it's happening to the cavernosal or the coronary arteries then the opposite is almost certainly to be true.
Tell us about syndrome X.
Well syndrome X is also called the metabolic syndrome and it's and I'm glad you brought that up 'cos it brings into the issue those lifestyle factors that are affecting uh our community in large numbers.
Right.
It's perhaps has it's beginning in fact way back in the womb and there's some interesting work being done f for a condition for a condition called FOAD F O A D which is foetal onset of adult disease.
What what what is syndrome X though ih ih.
Syndrome X is is um ih is where you um have ih obesity truncal obesity you have insulin resistance you have glucose intolerance and you have hypertension and those issues uh stem from a metabolic abnormality  which then leads you into getting vascular disease.
It's almost like Homer Simpson this heart the Homer Simpson look I guess.
That's uh in fact almost down to a nutshell because what Homer's got is the male pattern baldness and he's got that central obesity  and the interesting thing about syndrome X is that with this central truncal obesity you get a lot of conversion of the male hormone testosterone across to oestradiol and so you get alteration in the male's pattern of hormone flux and as a consequence of that it also leads into this other condition that we won't talk about now but mention and that is the male what's so-called the male andropause so there's a linkage right across the spectrum of disorders that are affecting men of our age.
And  people with s people who uh have erectile dysfunction may well have syndrome X as well.
It's oh almost well almost certainly there can be other causes for erectile dysfunction neurogenic  but more than uh more than most likely that will be the case Graham.
Okay now n nobody wants to talk about this so but we're going to talk about it. If you've got erectile dysfunction how can it be treated.
Well very successfully today I mean m most men are are and their partners in fact perhaps even more so the latter are aware of the fact that uh we have now got some very good treatments in the oral what we call the oral P D E fives. That as a group they consist of Viagra Cialis and Levitra. These are wonderful compounds that in fact affect the whole vascular system. Uh they work on improving the biochemical processes that lead to relaxation of blood vessels and lead to the relaxation of the erectile tissue and thereby help and promote erections.
So it's it's not all over you're not six foot under and dead if you if you've uh if you've got erectile dysfunction and as a result you you find that you've got heart disease there's lots of things that we can do.
Oh my word in fact uh y'know you can revitalise your life as long as you use this as a uh uh as a an essential warning which says oops looks like things aren't going too well I've gotta get myself back in  uh take stock of things and get myself back into uh order.
Dennis we're gunna have to go for a break would you mind holding on for a moment and we're gunna ask any of our listeners out there  if they've got a problem they might be concerned and they might .
Or if they have a neighbour.
Or if they've g sorry they they haven't got it themselves then that's right  it's their neighbour that's got the problem .
Or a friend.
Okay. Let's.
I'm delighted to be here.
Let's um let's ask one of our listeners who's never ever ever discussed this before in the an anonymity of the radio  to ring in and talk to us  because it just might save their life.
And certainly m save a relationship it's eleven minutes to twelve  one-three-one-eight-seven-three if you'd like to talk to Dr Dennis Cherry and Dr Graham about this  very very sensitive issue and if you've been uh uh uh uh a little bit hesitant to talk about it  now is the time. It can be completely anonymous you can ring up for your neighbour if you like one-three-one-   eight-seven-three it's eleven to twelve.
It's eight minutes to twelve the Continuous Call Team headed by Andrew Moore this afternoon  after twelve o'clock today one-three-one-eight-seven-three is the telephone number Dr Dennis Cherry is joining us the medical director of the Perth Human Sexuality Centre and uh Dr Graham and uh we'll take a call and I think we have Errol on line Errol gm good morning.
Hi.
G'day Errol.
I'm in me mid seventies.
Right
Uh I had a T U R on my prostate  about eleven years ago.
Right.
And I found out then that it didn't work afterwards.
Right . What didn't w what didn't work the T U R or.
get an erection . Couldn't substain  it you know . The urge is still there today even probably ten times as strong . Uh I have three stents in my heart and one in my aorta . Uh I have vascular problems in my leg.
Right. Have you got  an have you got angina still.
Yes I'm still being treated for angina yeah.
Right. Dennis what can we say to Errol.
Can I take any of these pills.
Uh w well if he's got angina and if he's using nitrates that's the little things you slip under the tongue or the spray that you use then it would be prohibited to use the new pills that's uh Viagra Cialis and Levitra  because they interact badly to cause a quite a significant drop in blood pressure or they can do and   you won't know when that would be  so that would be out of the question.
I've tried the needles and things  I've had the dopular  x-rays and things scans . And they say the blood comes in and goes out the other end just as quick.
Yes.
Right.
tablets stop that.
No d uh the problem you have is now what they venous incompetence that is  the erectile tissue is so damaged it can't lock off and  lock out.
Almost like a varicose vein down there isn't it.
That's right yeah and it's a bit like a hydraulic pump that the valve mechanism is now just so badly damaged it can't respond.
So I g I've got no hope.
Well the uh the the only one hope you've got is either the possibility of vacuum erection devices and or a penile implant and at your age I think uh and vascular disease   be few surgeons that would want to look at you.
It would  it would be very very difficult one. Errol I think unfortunately  this is one of the situations where the options are very very very limited the only thing that I can suggest to you however is go to your cardiologist  and say to him Doctor I I've got this problem there is tablets that are available but am I able to take them and ask him exactly will you fall into the category that you can or can't take these tablets.
Errol thanks for your call Pamela good morning.
Pamela yes good morning Pamela.
Yes good morning Doctor.
Good morning.
How are you.
I'm well thanks how are you. You got two doctors to talk to you today.
Aren't I lucky.
Yeah.
Well I'm ringing on behalf of my husband 'n' he's not here at the moment.
Right.
Uh he's sixty years of age  and uh  uh he's uh .
Pamela  just just hang on one sec. Look number one it's very brave of you to ring because it's obviously a difficult thing for you to do.
It is.
Number two  this precisely why we k having this segment because nobody damn well wants to talk about it. And it's a problem not only for the men  it can be a problem for the women too.
Oh yes of course I do realise that.
So let's get it just pretend that there's nobody else and there isn't anybody else there's you and myself and Dr Cherry so just spit it out.
Alright yes um  he's been there's been difficulty in getting an erection for the we've been married twenty years for for eighteen years now . Uh he is on Warfarin . He's got very bad vascular veins he has has had a couple of ulcers on the veins as well but  that's been cleared.
Right they're probably venous ulcers right.
Yes he's had uh uh the lump uh but the then the theh then he was put on Warfarin about eight nine years ago  . But before before that he's always had a problem with an erection his  his testicles are very small  and uh I just um. He  finds it difficult to talk about but because .
Absolutely most men do find it very difficult to talk about it.
And and I am just you know just yearning.
At your wits yeah at your wits end Dennis what advice would you give Pamela.
Well certainly he needs a very thorough investigation there if if the comment she made about the small testicles is true we know that men who have poor testosterone production have a very ih testosterone's extremely important in maintaining the health of the erectile tissue . So without that he would certainly be going downhill. Second thing  is that if he's got venous disease  uh and it's venous vascular disease then there may well be some arterial component as well . So he needs a very he needs to see I mean the point you made Graham is very true he needs to see a doctor he needs to be worked up thoroughly  uh and as a consequence of that a real proper assessment made as to why he hasn't got erectile dysfunction I I wouldn't be surprised by now that there's a rather intense psychogenic component.
M tt so uh it's like a dog chasing it's tail it doesn't work and the more you worry about it the less it works.
That's right.
Pamela this is really important what Dr Cherry has said is that your husband  even if you can get him to go to the doctor just purely and simply for a check-up.
Well he does see him for his I N R but we.
No that's neither here nor there and you've gotta go with him and you say  why don't you tell the doctor what's going on. I heard this program on Two G B that said you might be at risk of diabetes you might be at risk of heart disease. Tell him what's going on  and maybe he can help you and really  maybe he can help both of you. Pamela look thank you very much for calling in  Dennis I'm sorry we've run out of time. I really appreciated you taking the time this morning  and it's amazing the board lit up like a christmas tree I'm telling you there's a big problem out there and that's precisely why we're doing this segment. Thanks again Dennis really  appreciate it.
Bye-bye.
Bye.
Dr Dennis Cherry. It's two minutes to twelve we ha yes you're right we do have to take a break we'll be back.
"Ends 1:04.27.2"""
""" And Greg Kerrin is my guest. Hello Greg."
G'day Trevor how are you.
Very well thank you how are you.
Good I'm good thank you.
You're looking very festive in a very uh well it's a Hawaiian shirt but it's red it's it's almost Christmassy isn't it.
Red and white that's right it's  that time of the year isn't it.
I like that yes . Yes now uh what sort of flower that's the hibiscus uh it would be have uh being a real Hawaiian shirt wouldn't it.
Absolutely.
Okay yes. Glad you can identify the flower that's on your shirt.
I'm glad you can . Shows you're listening to the program .
Not not not a great flower to try and grow in Tassie though.
Uh there are a few of them growing around . In pockets in warm pockets yes absolutely. Um.
What up in the north-east somewhere.
No my word no no not uh in Hobart they're growing very well . They'll grow on the east coast but they'll grow in Hobart as well uh there are a few of them around Newtown  uh a few around Lenah Valley so you do  see them around.
Okay  alright but the  but prefer but prefer a warmer climate.
They would prefer a warm climate yes  but uh in a sun trap they're a great little plant to grow.
Alright well thirteen-hundred-thirty-six-seventeen-hundred is the number at this time of the year people taking breaks getting out and about and plenty of time to get out in the garden so I wouldn't be surprised if we have quite a few questions from our listeners this afternoon Graham from Hobart first cab off the rank how are you Graham.
Fine thank you. Uh Greg do you know anything about truss tomatoes . The expensive ones  seven or eight dollars a kilo from the supermarket.
Yes yes.
Uh well I've got ten plants growing.
Yeah.
They're about ten centimetres high but the stems are very thin do I do anything with them or is that what they  they do they grow on a vine.
They'll grow on a vine Graham  so look to promote the the the stem growth  and uh help them thicken up pinch the the side laterals outta them. Until they get to a reasonable height  and l then let them grow and expand uh and then they'll start fruiting.
Oh very good. Uh another thing y'know the gentleman last week that couldn't get any apricots on his tree.
Yeah yeah.
Yes yes up at Swansea way wasn't he.
No he was up in the north.
I had uh I have got two tamarillo trees one  exactly the same size and planted the same day. One has massive fruit the other one didn't have any . So I fed it about four handfuls of um sulfate of potash  every week for about four or five weeks. The leaves started to turn brown on the edges so I stopped. All those leaves fell off and then the new leaves and fruit there's m masses on the tree.
Good. Well that's good.
So it's it's massive doses of the uh.
Of the sulfate of potash.
Potash.
Yeah yeah  thanks Graham.
No problem.
Alright Graham thank you for your call Patricia from Montrose good afternoon Patricia.
Uh good afternoon gentlemen um I have a passionfruit a Nelly Kelly a grafted one  that I've had for about six years. It's been struggling along. This year it's had about twenty flowers on it and all but one have dropped off. And that one has got a swelling in it that looks like a passionfruit. Y'know is is something I'm doing that I'm not getting passionfruit or what.
I reckon Patricia that your passionfruit is a little bit hungry . Okay is it a little bit is it a little bit pale and yellowy in the leaves.
I've cut the yucky leaves off  and I'm left with uh rather nice um um fresh green leaves.
Fresh green leaves good okay  I reckon it's a little bit hungry. Now  um Nelly Kelly passionfruit are really heavy feeders and by that I mean you're going to need to feed them more than once a year you're gunna need to feed them at least two or three times a year and the best thing to use on them is either super phosphate right  or a complete fertiliser . Now if you give your Nelly Kelly passionfruit at least two or three good handfuls of that and water it in throughout the year you'll not only get lush growth and have very green leaves uh but you'll also tt get an abundance of fruit coming through.
I see  so what you're saying is that the passionfruit has not been fed enough  enough to enable it to make fruit is that what you're saying.
That's right because uh 'cos when you th you picture your passionfruit in your mind you've got these g really big  glossy green leaves with  lovely long leaders and tendrils. Now  it takes uh a lot of uh energy to maintain those big green leaves to begin with  and it also takes a lot of energy to grow with big green leaves . Okay  and that's why it needs a good feed  and regularly .
Patricia have you got much fruit at all over the six years. Nothing at all really.
None.
Yeah.
Okay it's just struggled all the way.
My first fruit and I'm sitting down there guarding it .
Bet you are day and night .
Well then make sure you're the only one that enjoys  that fruit Patricia.
I will don't worry about that .
Good on you.
Thank you.
Okay.
Thanks Patricia . Jeez talk about hard fruits for your labour. Uh thirteen-hundred-thirty-six-seventeen-hundred is our number l lot of listeners phone in to say that they've got Nelly Kellys uh uh generally speaking Greg are they  more easy to grow in the passionfruit fam.
Um it's not so much that they're easy to grow Trevor it's that they're such a great fruit . They're a lovely fruit to eat they're the definitely the pick of the passionfruits.
They're one of the sweeter fruit are they.
They're one of the sweeter ones but they've also one of these plants or fruiting plants has been around since the year dot. They're like a moor puhp morg puh puh muh  puh like a Moor Park apricot  or uh a Meyer lemon. They're they're proven winners they're reliable uh and people just keep coming back to them . And every so often you get a new variety that comes in and and a few people test them and they come back and they say nah it's not as good as the Nelly Kelly . You can't beat it.
Alright . Thirteen-hundred-thirty-six-seventeen-hundred is our number and I should uh mention too that we're gunna offer up a copy of the the latest issue of the A B C Limelight magazine. So to our best caller this afternoon and Greg will be keeping a close ear on you uh we will offer a copy of uh the A B C's Limelight magazine some good reading over summer and indeed uh when we're looking for some decent entertainment on the radio and the box you'll find it there 'n' some good stories too. John from Newtown g'day John.
Hello.
Yes John hello.
Oh sorry old mate I didn't realise you were so quick.
Oh that's alright John.
Um good afternoon to you both number one I've guh old lady across the road my dear old mate gave me some great big fat juicy bulbs the name of which I can only remember she called them naked ladies.
Yeah yeah.
She said that they wouldn't um flower the first year but I've  planted them out in sort of good compost and they burst out in loads and loads of green leaves but no flower  now this year will they flower.
Yeah they will now uh a bulb like a naked lady likes being rather pot-bound or root-bound  and it's bound up so if you put it in the pot John  it'll probably flower next year  but if you put it in the ground it'll probably flower the year after.
Gotcha  so do these ones I've I've got some in a pot which didn't flower last year  but they're I put a hell of a lot in so they must be getting pretty pushed together.
Yih that's w that's what you want you want those roots to really mat down together and then it'll start to flower.
So these ones should  come up with a bit of a flower this year.
That's right and then around about say every ooh oh five or six years you can take to them with a spade  and and and thin them out a little bit  and then they'll start flowering again.
May I ask you the proper name it always sounds a bit sort of rude to.
Saying naked lady bulbs .
There's nothing wrong with saying naked lady bulbs they've been aruh they're another one. They've been around for so long. People know them as naked ladies or nerines.
Wuh my old prim and proper mate unfortunately of course she died lih last year  she was eighty-six and  she called her that I thought well if a lady like her can call a.
Naked ladies yeah. They're called nerines  John nerines.
Good man thanks for your help.
Okay.
Thank you John . Uh thirteen-hundred-thirty-six-seventeen-hundred for Gardening Talkback on Nine-Three-Six A B C Hobart Iris from Sandy Bay hello Iris.
Hello. Um I wonder if you could help me with my irises both  both Dutch and flag.
Yes.
They won't flower um. They have all the foliage  both um the flag ones in particular have um yep beautiful big wide tall  leaves but nothing happens. I expose the rhizomes to the sun. I fertilise them.
What with Iris.
Um the pellet stuff.
Yep.
Yun in  that outdoor  stuff and uh occasionally some seeh uh uh seaweed g uh liquid  Aquasol or something and um  uh I've got about thirty and I got about three . And I didn't  get any Dutch irises.
H h how long have you had the flag irises in for.
A long long time.
Alright well I think you're being too kind to them.
Ooh.
Well I didn't think I mean they grow wild in in the country don't they.
That's exactly why I think you're being too kind to them. You are feeding them too much and they're sitting back there and they're very complacent they're happy 'n' they're getting fat 'n' they don't have to they don't have to  flower for you  . So they're not going to.
I wondered if I I should dig them up and put them in a new bed.
Absolutely not no leave them where they are but don't fl uh feed them for at least another two or three years . Alright it sounds like you're over feeding them and they're they're just in a in a puchih position where they just they don't have to do anything.
We are in clay.
Doesn't matter.
Oh well that's .
Doesn't matter.
In y'know as I said in the country you see them absolutely neglected 'n' they  flower beautifully.
Exactly and that's exactly why we don't want you to feed them anymore.
Right.
And that kinda goes against the grain doesn't it because you listen to me all the time 'n' I'm saying feed it  feed it feed it but in this case don't.
Starve it.
Yes.
Well it has this lush growth but nothing else.
Yeah and that's why. You're feeding them too much . Okay now as far as your other irises go are you doing the same thing . Are you feeding them a lot.
Uh wuh yes uh the whole garden geh  I d I duh don't put much sheep manure or stuff about I find that's  hard to get 'n'  uh it's easier to buy something .
Okay well look for the next two years or so uh avoid feeding the iris beds  right completely and let them dry out a little bit as well.
Yes well they are um and have been f kept fairly damp.
Right yeah well you want them to dry out a little bit. You wanna stress them a bit because that's how you're gunna make them flower . They're one of these plants that really reacts well to stress . So the more stress you f you give them by not feeding them very often and not watering them too much the better the flowers and the prolonged flowering season.
Oh I'll  just ignore them then.
Yes .
Mm and Iris don't you get too stressed going hard on your irises okay.
Thank you very much .
Thanks Iris bye-bye.
Have a nice Christmas . Seventeen minutes to three.
Trevor Jackson and Greg Kerrin this afternoon for Gardening Talkback sixteen minutes to three good afternoon Peter how are you.
Good afternoon Trevor.
What can we do for you Pete.
Uh Greg regarding my walnut tree that I spoke to you about eighteen months ago I mentioned to your brother when he was last in I think it was week before last  I dunno when he passed on the message or not that uh you told me to take to it with a broom handle . Which I did . 'N' last year it grew about a metre  . Sixteen seventeen years old by the way  and it grew about a metre still no fruit. This year has grown again and I actually have walnuts on it .
There you go.
Your idea of the broom handle works absolutely beautifully.
There you go.
So I thought I'd ring you with that one.
Good.
The other reason why I called was uh I think I spoke to you again last year about uh anything to keep wallabies off the off the roses and it started again this year you haven't come up with anything since the last time  we spoke apart from a bit of lead in their ear of course .
Mm.
Ooh that's a bit rough isn't it.
Um what about what about getting some blood 'n' bone.
Yeah.
And putting some blood 'n' bone in a stocking.
Ah.
And hanging some blood 'n' bone in stockings around your roses.
Okay.
I do not believe they like the r the s the smell of the or the stench of rotting blood 'n' bone.
Ooh I see that's worth a try. Uh.
Mm. I'm not so crazy on it myself Greg but I suppose if it keeps the wallabies away .
Well you could try that did I suggest to you that you try um spraying your roses with Seasol.
No I do use a lotta Seasol in my gardening .
Okay well there's another one. Um I I believe it works to a certain point that if you if you spray your roses with Seasol uh both possums and wallabies don't like the smell and the taste of the seaweed  okay but the only drawback is you've gotta regularly do that so you'd need to do it every mwah I'd say every week or thereabouts and ih c certainly after it's rained. But I would try that in or as a combination with the blood 'n' bone trick.
I'll give that a try I tried a product last year that's uh well actually it's called Poss-Off  and that's got a chilli base I would suggest. When you're spraying it on it just about takes your breath away . But that didn't seem to work either  they they they .
Kept the possums away but not the wallabies.
Exactly .
Well wuh uh it's a known fact that wallabies like roses with chilli.
Oh absolutely yes . Uh they're of Mexican uh descent aren't they .
Actually I'll just tell you a quick little one that was in the Reader's Digest this month that uh there's a a story that the bees are going on strike.
Uh yes.
Yes.
More honey and uh what is it uh more more honey and shorter flowers .
Oh okay. I like that thanks Peter have a great Christmas.
thanks.
Alright Leon good afternoon how are you. Hello Leon. Are you there. No we've lost Leon. Carol might like to try and get Leon back Kath hello Kath.
Ah good afternoon.
G'day Kath.
Um last year I planted a Nelly Kelly passionfruit.
Yeah.
Lots of foliage lots of flowers. They all dutifully produced little babies.
Mm.
But they got to about the size of a large green olive they turned yellow and went soft.
And there's nothing inside them.
There's nothing inside them so I lost my temper with it.
Mm.
Cut it right back all I had left was stem I ignore that completely. I don't water it I don't feed it. It's covered in foliage it's starting to flower is it going to happen again.
Yeah.
So what's the what is the problem.
Right well the deal with that Kath is that Nelly Kelly passionfruits are grafted  okay. Now what's happened is.
Keep an eye on the um.
On the suckers.
On the suckers.
Right but at some stage your plant has suckered and your graft has died and now all you're l you're left with is a sucker.
Right the whole thing comes out  then .
That's exactly right the whole things come comes out you've gotta buy yourself a new one  and then for the first twelve to eighteen months  every so often go out and just check the graft and make sure nothing's suckering from underneath and it should be fine.
Oh goody I'll get one.
But that's what's wrong with it unfortunately.
I'll go buy a new one next week.
Mm hmm okay.
it'll be my Christmas present. Thank you.
Good on you  Kath have a nice Christmas. Leon we've got you back hello Leon.
Oh good afternoon.
Yes.
I want to strike some petenia cuttings . Uh uh which is the best time of the year to take those.
Right now Leon.
Right now.
Right now because the new growth from the Spring that goes really hot fiery red in colour  has hardened off . Now now's the time of the year to take the cuttings so  what you need to do is take your cuttings from the eastern side of the bush . And the reason for that is because all the carbohydrates are in the eastern sunny side of the bush  um take the b the c cuttings around about pen or pencil thickness . And around about in old terms three inches long.
Okay yep.
Alright. Strip the cutting back to two leaves at the top of the cutting . And then you can eih you can try two methods you can either dip your cuttings in uh a rooting gel. Don't buy the liquid or the powder buy the gel 'cos it's it's a better product these days so the rooting gel or you can dip the cuttings in some honey.
I see yep yep.
Yeah both of those will stimulate um root growth on your cuttings. They'll take around about oh around about four to six months to strike. So don't expect anything to happen within the four to six months. If for one reason or another the the cuttings start to flower then cut the flowers off  right . And um I would take if I were you uh how many do you want.
Oh probably uh a dozen.
Alright well take about forty cuttings . Okay 'cos you'll find that if you get ten out of forty cuttings then you're doing pretty well.
Yeah I just wondering see I don't think my  cuttings that I would take would be as thick as you were saying uh.
Well look try and take them as thick as you possibly can.
And how uh rigid h how stiff are they actually.
Oh at this  well at this time of the year 'cos that new growth has hardened off  right it's reasonably stiff.
So you don't want the ones that are that you can virtually bend over.
If you can wrap your finger around the stem and you get a little bit of resistance  right  then then they're ready to cut . Okay if they're really s uh uh s uh well they're sitting bolt upright 'n' they're very stiff then no you can't take them . You still want a little bit of flexibility in the cutting.
Good yes and uh w dampness wuh how how damp do I keep them.
Uh you make sure that your your propagation mix is moist  but never saturated okay and  not too dry. It's a really difficult one. You do need to water them every day. So I'd water them religiously every morning and then if we have an exceptionally dry day then you'll need to water them again.
Just with a spray over the leaves.
Uh yes but you wanna keep the mix wet not the leaves.
Good okay then.
Alright.
Yes.
Okay Leon.
Good thanks very much.
Thank you very much for your call it is nine minutes to three thirteen-hundred-thirty-six-seventeen-hundred the number to call.
It's Trevor Jackson with Greg Kerrin for the last time this year by by the way uh for Gardening Talkback so your last chance to have a chat to Greg before we resume the program um uh towards the end of January next year. Bill from Moonah g'day Bill.
Uh guh uh uh gentlemen.
G'day Bill.
What can we do for you Bill.
I wanna kill something.
Oh.
Oh . That doesn't suh. Sounds a bit nasty.
nextdoor neighbour and I have joined forces uh to get rid of the ivy on our fence which is tearing the fence down. What's the best stuff to.
Mm.
Vhoo.
Wuh we've got the ivy out alright but of course it's roots everywhere.
Ivy's tough very tough.
'N' you've got a you got a coalition of uh  neighbours there Bill .
They call you the ivy league .
Um to kill ivy look um blackberry and tree killer  would be the best thing to use.
Spray it on or paint it on.
Tt uh uh have you got exposed stems. Or have you got foliage.
I've got foliage galore  and also where we've been pulling it out there's it's rooted . I haven't got all the roots out.
Okay um  I I would say for you the easiest thing to do would be to spray the foliage . Now please read the directions  when you purchase the blackberry tree killer and make sure that you follow all the precautions . It's most important um you will need to apply it more than once  maybe up to three or four times uh over three weeks  and that should knock the ivy back but be warned it's gunna come back again and yih it will take you probably twelve months to knock it off.
Oh.
So you're just gunna have to keep at it 'n' at it 'n' at it 'n' at it 'n' at it. It's one of those one of those pesty sort of weeds when it when it invades your garden to the extent that it has yours and your neighbour's you've just gotta keep at it all the time . One spray won't kill it.
Okay.
Alright  so just bear that in mind. But good luck that'll do it Bill.
Thanks very much .
Okay.
Alright Bill.
Thanks Bill.
Okay have a great Christmas. Mm Iris. Good afternoon Iris.
Hello.
Yes how are things in Bridgewater this afternoon.
Oh it's a bit chilly we've got a sea breeze.
Oh. That's lovely uh the the the nice refreshing change to yesterday.
Oh yes if only we'd get some rain.
Yes.
need it.
It's been trying though all day.
It has been. Yes my problem is I've mentioned to you before about soil wetting agents.
Yes.
Now when I put that on do I water my lawn first or do I just water the lawn with the the soil wetter and then put the hose on it.
Are you which one are you using Iris.
Well it's one that I mix in granules in a bucket 'n' then put it in a c watering can.
And then water it on.
Yeah.
Okay. Well you don't need to water the lawn first  right. You only ih if you mixing it up with water  then just apply it  that way . Right there's no wat need to wet the lawn first because if you saturate the lawn or saturate the lawn before you you put your wetting agent down  um there's a good chance that it will flood all into one spot in the lawn  rather than getting an even distribution right across the lawn so just just use that uh uh mixture you've got in the watering can and apply it that way.
And when do I water it afterwards with a sprinkler.
No.
No okay.
No let it soak in Iris  and then tomorrow or the day after you can start watering again but you're gunna find that it will reduce your uh watering by about oh  three or four quarters.
Oh that'll be lovely.
Okay.
Mm.
Oh okay.
Okay thank you very much.
Alright Iris thank you very much for your call . And uh Greg uh who're we gunna pick as our winner this afternoon who should it be.
Um well look I think Iris from Sandy Bay with her irises  that was just   a good question.
Alright and just tickled your fancy just a little bit.
Absolutely.
Greg Kerrin uh from uh Carol and myself a big thankyou for your involvement in the program this year all of your uh participation and uh look forward to having you back next year you will come back won't you.
I'll be back.
Alright.
""" A very good afternoon to you Roly."
Good afternoon sir.
Mm good to have you on board. Now Roly.
I was I was listening with pleasure to to Tasmania taking things to W A in the cricket. That's heading in the right direction.
Yeah well we're on top of the table at the moment. We've we had two outright victories so far which is  a great start although um they've certainly uh got a battle on their hands in this particular match.
Yeah  but but there is I mean Americans call cricket baseball on valium and just don't understand it.
Nah baseball's pretty slow. I've been to the baseball in America and it's it's not a fast game it can be pretty slow and you might only get three or four runs in the in an  entire game so.
Whereas cricket has a certain measured elegance and then you get names like remember John Arlott and  and Alan McGilvray and the great commentators of the past uh I think uh allows one to appreciate things over several days which is not the sort of thing that you would find in any other sport nowadays.
No there's certainly uh well al although cricket's losing that a little too but there's  certainly that gentile um factor that uh that that  comes into play there mm.
Tea and cucumber sandwiches in the tent behind the village hall.
Absolutely lovely  don't mind if  I do. Alright have you got a teaser for us.
Yeah you'll like got you a stack of them actually. Some of these are quite easy but they're interesting if you don't happen to know them. What is the link between your salary and salt.
Mm okay salary and salt alright the link  mkay m  mine's worth about a pound of it I think that's  the link in my case.
Depends on the value of salt which  actually is part of the story as well.
Okay.
Ah last week someone asked about a Scouse phrase okeone or O K E O N E. Absolutely no trace of that I'm afraid I had drew a complete blank.
Oh that's right O K E uh O N E.
That's right  and it just didn't come up anywhere. Um on the other hand Jeff wanted to know about having a lend of someone or pulling someone's leg.  To have a lend of someone is recorded from the nineteen-tens uh Jonathan Green has it in the Cassells Dictionary of Slang and it means to treat someone like a fool. Um the pulling someone's leg is a nineteenth century story  and there are all sorts of variants. Apparently if you were a pickpocket and you wanted to um to  disrupt someone so that you could get at their pocket you might grab them by the leg and bring them down uh y'know alley thieves tripping people up so that they could rifle through their pockets.
Sure.
But this is is plausible it is it is not scientific fact and no one is entirely certain so I'm a I'm afraid I've got a an inconclusive answer there as well but that's how it came about  they reckon . I now have a question about tillies.
Tillies.
Mm uh the British in the fifties uh had a the army had a need for some cut down cars that could carry things from A to B so Austin Hillman and Singer there are names from the past for  you um made a sort of heavy duty pickup version of their of their sedans and these were called tillies from utility. Bit unusual because you take the s middle syllable of the word and put ies on the end  um but I have reports of tilly being used instead of ute in Australia and there are three pockets of tilly one of them is at Rockhampton Central Queensland second one is on the Darling Downs west of here from about Warwick Allora Dalby over the border down into Lismore  and there's another pocket of tillies in Hobart.
Really.
What I want to know is  do any of the listeners use tilly or have they used tilly in the past for utility do they still do so and can they give us place and time because this looks like an odd distribution. Certainly ute is winning hands down nowadays  but the tilly has been around in the past.
You wonder how these little pockets emerge don't you I guess uh very strong uh English uh migration population .
Possibly but I n I've got some references to tilly from Dalby in the thirties which is well before the Brits started. So maybe they picked up the term from Australian servicemen who were in Britain  and then proceeded to make their tillies  uh as while we were chopping off the backs of Holdens 'n' things and making utes.
Could be.
Right golf.
Mm.
You a golfer sir.
Ah i ish yes I have played yes I I not regularly but I have yes.
On a scale of one to ten that sounds like about two point seven.
Yes it's  about that too. It's more for the  social aspect it's more for the beer afterwards I like what it leads to.
Oh I see  you're a you're a nineteenth green person.
Oh definitely yes.
Okay well the name golf uh originally and often pronounced in Scottish English gowf G O W F  there’s even a n club in Ayrshire which calls itself a gowfclub G O W F  but uh one of the listeners got hold of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews  and uh asked them about golf 'n' when it was first ah noted  the there’s a Dutch word  cowf C O W F meaning club and so they think that that was where the the name from. In fourteen-fifty-seven James the Second banned golf 'n' football because people weren't doing their archery practice  please I like that.
Yes.
But some of the words from golf have odd histories. Link was the strip of land between the sea and agricultural land. So I suppose that was something that you could use for sporting purposes without disrupting either the fishermen or the farmers. Uh bogey comes from a mythical amateur golfer who was supposed to bogey things. Par  uh French and Latin word for average ah came into use round about eighteen-ninety-one. Birdies eagles and albatrosses. In the US who which took up golf with avidity  there was a phrase in the late nineteenth century a bird of a shot meaning a very good one and that's where they got birdie from and once you had one avian representative you also got eagles and albatrosses.
Mm.
A fore  is probably from the word forecaddie  who was someone who went ahead to mark the lie of the ball where the lord of the manor had uh mishit as it were.
So he would yell  you would yell fore to the caddy to warn him.
Well that's what happened later. But the forecaddie was someone who went fore  and um caddy is from French cadet C A D E T meaning young  the younger son joined the army and many caddies were ex army people looking for a job. So the caddy is someone who is younger and went around looking for the lie of the ball or later on carrying the clubs of milord. So golf has has a a a rather interesting and very well focused group of words which uh grew up over the years and uh the Royal and Ancient Club  St Andrews is now the home of golf as you know.
Very rich heritage. Barry from Sandy Bay g'day Barry.
Ah good afternoon gentlemen. Uh Roly a few weeks ago you were talking about the derivation of Australian nicknames uh  there's one common name that you don't  much these days but uh ih in when I was a youngster lots of men were called spoog or sproggy and they used to refer  to their children as their their sprogs uh  I think that it's parti uh peculiarly Australian it's as I I haven't uh come across it despite inquiry in uh Britain or or the States but I I had a couple of friends at school called sproggy.
Yeah I remember that too  um there is a dialectal word sprag I think which means lively young man sort of something like that uh but I haven't heard that for y for a long time. Wh where did you go to school Barry.
In Melbourne
Melbourne okay so did I. So  Trevor did they use sprog in  New South Wales.
Not in my time no not sproggy no or s uh sprog yes I heard sprogs but not sproggy no.
Okay and to and to sprog was a verb oh you know someone sprogging means they're getti giving birth to.
Oh okay okay.
So yeah thank you for reminding me Barry I'll see if I can find a bit more but the dictionary last time I checked said orig uncert  which means they don't know where it came from.
Ok Barry  thank you for your call  Barry's gone obviously. Anne from Garden River g'day Anne.
Um good afternoon gentlemen um tilly.
Yes.
Uh I was in the Wrens oh a long time ago and if ever we were to go out uh uh to sort of see something special you know just a a small group of us  we would get in a tilly van.
Uh it was called a tilly van.
Tilly van yes.
Okay date roughly when.
Oh date um I’ll have to do some mathematics hang on um forty years ago.
Okay mm minus forty this is interesting and what can you tell us what a tilly van was like.
Well it was just like a small bus really um  I think it seats about  oh twenty people  twentyish people maybe thirty but it was like a small bus.
And this was in England.
In England yes.
Mm which part of.
Uh uh  w w w what where I was in the navy was in the south.
Mhm okay  because sometimes these things are fairly local this sounds as if they've picked up the word tilly from the earlier use in the fifties  and then extended it to apply to a particular sort of ah additional type of vehicle like a van.
Mm it was a Naval  airbase I remember that.
Naval airbase . South Hampton or someplace .
H M S Gamecock I remember that much but I I just truly can't remember where it was I wasn't really happy at the time um  so memories didn't s sort of cling.
I'll be able to find out about the Gamecock because there's a very nice Royal Navy website which has all of these things on it.
Uhuh well Gamecock  was the was the ah name of the place and sprog that comes from England I think too because it was like a uh uh um  not a very nice name for s for a child you know  a derogatory sort of uh uh title for a child.
Yes we used to use it in Melbourne I I heard it when I was living in New Zealand and  I've also I'm certain heard it in London  . It was s slightly disreputable you know it sort of.
That's right that's right  .
If there was actually .
You know someone might be giving birth in an upper-class hospital but they were sprogging away   if they had a midwife or something yeah.
Yeah yeah.
Thank you Anne.
Thank you.
Of course you were never referred to as a sprog were you Roly.
Uh probably  I was referred to as lots of things.
Sixteen minutes to three on nine-three-six A B C Hobart Trevor Jackson with Roly Sussex this afternoon Lance from West Hobart g'day Lance.
Hello Trevor hello Roly.
Hello there.
Hello.
Uh Roly I come from a generation where salt was still put into the cellars the s and the little spoons and one of my jobs to get pocket money was once a week I had to roll the ah heavy salt with a glass rolling pin and they added corn flour  to it  in those days somebody worked their bloody guts out was called worth their salt which I think  could be from the old word salarium meaning salary eh.
You got the whole thing.
Nah.
With one small little bit left out the Roman soldiers used to be paid in salt  and that was  that's right 'n' that was where the uh the orig word the word originally came from and salt was a commodity which was very expensive and worthwhile.
Yeah that's why you  sat be you sat below or above the salt  if you were worth the money you were above the salt and uh but I can remember once that uh  at the Governor General's residence seeing salt cellar and little s uh I'm sorry uh  uh what's the word cru cruet sets for every  person in front of them so there'd be no ab absolutely no way that anybody feel out of uh according.
Out of place  because if you were above the salt the salt was in the middle of the table 'n' milord and so were sat on one side and the and the underlings to the other. But you're dead right about salt and it w wasn't I think until the nineteenth century when they found out ways of making salt in large quantities cheaply that it became less valuable than it had been before.
I I I've got this funny idea but we had to earn our X amount per week. It was sixpence to go to the pictures then you had to have your money for your bubblegum and your pence  for the icecream but one of the other things I had to do was to mix up the whiting and do the front stairs.
Oh okay.
Oh yes . Now that's another  another task that has now sinh  long since gone.
There's other people who more than likely have better stories  than that .
Oh no this ih this is good stuff.
Thank you very much.
No its great Lance  thank you Lance. Thirteen-hundred-thirty-six-seventeen-hundred is the number. Yes young people don't know how good they've got it today Roly do they.
They don't they don't. Trevor I've another one. What is the connection between pollution and malaria.
Pollution and malaria  okay. Pollution and malaria. That's Roly's second teasier teaser for this afternoon. If you think you know it thirteen-hundred-thirty-six-seventeen-hundred. Pauline from Kingston hello Pauline.
Oh good afternoon gentlemen. Um it was just you talking about sprogs. My husband was in the Royal Navy in the late fifties and early sixties about the time that Queen Elizabeth was having her second family and they used it slightly derogatory when they sort of spliced the main brace after  um she gave birth they got extra tots of rum but they weren't very you know polite about the sprog but that's what they said you know   they used .
Okay thank you  sprog in the navy.
You know navy from  they were down the South Coast they were based down at Portsmouth or Plymouth  mm  okay.
Thank you for sprog.
Alright Pauline. No thank you very much . John John from Mornington hello John.
Hello. Um sproggy. Um  I heard it used in the late forties early fifties uh by a person from South Australia referring to a sparrow uh sorry a starling.
Oh  mm alright we don't have starlings up here. I shall have to do a little bit of work on this one.
Starlings  everywhere except for Western Australia.
Yeah well they may be but not not where I live . Um starling spadger sparrow mm alright thank you f I I've going to have to do a bit of homework on that one.
Mm.
Alright John. Thrown a bit of a spanner in Roly's works that's good to see .
Okay.
Thank you Trevor.
Keep the man on his toes  thirteen-hundred-thirty-six-seventeen-hundred for language talkback Alan from Midway Point. G'day Alan.
Uh the malaria means bad air whi which they thought it might be caused by bad air before they found out what caused it.
That's before anopheles was discovered yep you're dead right particularly the swamps of ancient Rome and such places which were apparently very good  as uh  places where malaria would grow so mal aria is Latin or in Italian actually .
Bad air.
Bad air.
Well done. Thank you Alan.
That was a bit of of medical bad diagnosis.
Thanks Alan thanks for the call. Have you got a another teaser Roly.
Alright what's a link . This one is a bit more obscure. The link between typhoid and smoking.
Typhoid and smoking alright.
Mhm.
Okay. This is fun I like this. Thirteen-hundred-thirty-six-seventeen-hundred  is the number if you've got uh an inkling of what uh Roly's teaser might be the link between typhoid and smoking.
Trevor Jackson with Roly Sussex this afternoon on nine-three-six A B C Hobart thirteen-hundred-thirty-six-seventeen-hundred is the number. Roly a scholar and a gentleman.
Yes and my thanks to Neil Kurtz from Rose Bay in Tasmania  who sent me some very interesting information. Um Burns had it round the other way a gentleman and scholar and his poem The Twa Dogs two dogs  Wordsworth in The Prelude had scholars and gentlemen and Partridge in his Dictionary of Catchphrases  has this lovely phrase a gentleman and a scholar and a fine judge of whiskey.  A good man.  And C C Colton a man I didn't know about in a um poem called Lacon uh has the phrase a gentleman by nature and a scholar by education  and one of my listeners has sent me a a lovely story from Punch the alas defunct magazine a uh officer turns up at a hotel  announces himself at the reception desk and the receptionist rings up to a young lady  and says there's a scholar and a gentleman for you madam and she says send them both up.
Fair enough. Colin from Lauderdale. G'day Colin.
Yeah good afternoon uh both of you. Uh the word  sprog recalls some distant memories. Um in the late fifties middle late fifties I was doing National Service in the in the R A F in Britain  and sprog was commonly used then to mean someone who'd just arrived to start their service in other words they hadn't done very much at this point they were very green and uh the new guys were sprogs.
Okay that one I didn't know and this was the R A F.
The R A F yes National Service  Britain late fifties.
Seems to be very common the armed services doesn't it.
But n yeah but nev.
It does indeed.
I never I've never heard sproggy. It was always a sprog a new sprog.
Yeah the sproggy bit mm unless it means starling which I'm going to have to find out about. Um do you happen to know whether it was used in the other services.
No I don't  no  I can only comment it from my own experience which was Royal Airforce Britain  late fifties.
Gradually getting a picture of it though thank you  very much.
Thank you Colin.
Good-o .
Okay.
Bye.
Now Roly you want to talk about hyphens today as well.
I'm I'm absolutely burning up to talk about hyphens  yes . Um a  a listener in South Australia said look we've got antemeridian which is one word but post-meridian which is hyphenated and you've got anti-establishment which is hyphenated but antidisestablishmentarianism which is not. What's going on. Ah in times like this turn to Pam Peters's lovely book Australian English Style Guide  and what follows is is largely taken from her. There are three levels of combining words you can have them totally separate you can have them hyphenated or they can be joined. And on the whole the Americans join things and on the whole the Brits tend not to and half-way house is a hyphen. Generally speaking if a word oh sorry if two words come together and create something which now has a new meaning like runoff as of rain  then it will be written as one word. But lots of others  are hyphenated and the question is when. Well first of all if you get to the end of a line and there's no room for what you want to write you do a hyphen  and the rule is generally break before one consonant between two and after  one and before the next two I think that's right. I have to think about that one. Occasionally  you need a hyphen to separate meanings like re-cover and recover  right you wouldn't want to get those two mixed up so the hyphen actually emphasises that the re is to be added to the meaning of cover  rather than to form a new word recover which is now a meaning on its own. You can have prefixes and roots like counter-terrorist hyphenated you can have root plus root doorjamb and you can have roots joined up which don't actually stand on their own like agri doesn't stand by its own but agribusiness one word  is okay. There are a couple of odd things um  if you've got a word which includes some different typography in other words something like um F B T for Fringe Benefit Tax uh then if you are anti-F B T you'd be anti hyphen F B T you wouldn't  want to mix lower case and upper case in the one word.
But then you got co and ex. If the C O words are old like coexist they're one word. If they're newer like co-author they tend to be hyphenated. This is getting worse 'n' worse 'n' worse. And if you have a verb like to babysit that tends to be one word  but sometimes hyphenated but if you've got a babysitter that's almost always one word. Not baby hyphen sitter but babysitter.
So do you think the newer words uh have the hyphens simply because or or  the older words don't simply because we've been writing them so long we get a little bit lazy and we just end up joining them.
It's not so much lazy as I think they've established themselves as having a particular meaning which is not just the joining of the two bits  but for example amoral is not just non moral but it suggests some certain sorts of behaviour which cluster together  and so amoral is taken as a piece and you don't think of it as being compositional or made up of two separate bits . And uh whereas uh more recent words which have been coined and are sitting there like gift-wrap for example  that's fairly recent and so that is hyphenated  barefoot has been around for a long long time and so that's one word  um open-door policy open hyphen door policy I would've thought um and sometimes if you get a phrase which is used always in the same way like an equal opportunity employer you just write the words separately. So there are a  there are some regularities for example editor-in-chief that would always be hyphens mother-in-law is always hyphens but notice that the modifiers the in chief and in law actually follow. So I do recommend either the A G P S Style Guide that's the Australian Government Publishing Service  or Pam Peters uh on the um uh Australian English Usage or if you like dear old Fowler. Now they all talk about this and the answer to the question is no when not when do I use a hyphen is um there are some cases which are two le two words there are some which are one word 'n' there are lots which are vacillating in between with hyphens.
Indeed.
Sorry to be indecisive . In hyphen decisive.
Roger from Lindisfarne. G'day Roger.
G'day. Just to fill you in on the sprogs  the British army nineteen-fifties early sixties certainly used  that term for ru recruits.
New recruits yes.
Yep so  that  helps to pad out the picture for you.
Indeed so we now have army and airforce navy people please pick up the phone.
Okay.
Okay goodbye.
Alright thank you Roger  yes and uh Carol's just given me a message uh Roly that someone else from the armed forces has uh phoned the A B C switchboard ah from Portsmouth to say that yeah  sprog same thing. Leon from uh.
Portsmouth England or Portsmouth Tasmania.
Portsmouth Tasmania  . England . There you go. I've just got a nod of the head there. Okay Leon good afternoon. Leon who's not from Portsmouth hello Leon are you there. No we don't seem to have Leon Carol you might try 'n' see if we can get Leon back. Uh yes it's gunna be very interesting you've started something with sprog now haven't you.
Well yes it wasn't entirely me either. And off we go. Uh tillies people. Surely someone must use tilly in Tasmania.
Yes um we haven't had uh we only had uh from the the lady who was in stationed in in England at the time .
That's right and forget not typhoid and smoke  I want to know about the link.
You're a you're absolutely certain that tillies was used here.
Oh yeah  and uh I I listeners being absolutely certain and collaborating each sh corroborating each other uh are these three little pockets Rockhampton the Darling Downs and Hobart.
Mm okay thirteen-hundred-thirty-six-seventeen-hundred is our number you wanna be quick 'cos we've only got a little bit of time left on the program this afternoon uh any more homework Roly.
Uh not really I think the there there oh yeah I've got a couple of bits. Um Osheania  Oseania  Osheana  um there's a word foliage which tends to come out as folage   not with Peter Cundell but then he's A B C and Tasmania so he'd get it right but Oseania  has been coming out as Oseana this is the soccer stuff recently. Um yeah it seems to be hard to say and there are a few other  other examples of it as well. Ah another little bit that I picked up the the term master and slave which is used in computer um speak for a particular type of typology of networks is now no longer kosher in Tasmania. Uh the words uh have unfortunate associations and the computer geeks have gotta find something else.
Fair enough. Jim from Glenorchy.
Oh g well . I'm ringing up about the Tilley. It's not  not the ute but we used to use Tilley lanterns when we went camping.
Ah yeah that's a different Tilley that's a a maker's name for those kerosene pressure lanterns.
Oh right yeah yeah  oh well yeah I just thought they might've been you know like in the old days where you went  out on manoeuvres in the in the little ute or  whatever the tilly ute and used a Tilley lamp.
Uh right uh it's a good idea but I'm afraid  in this case  it doesn't work.
I'm off the track.
Alright Jim.
Rightio .
Yes  .
Okay  uh thirteen-hundred-thirty-six-seventeen-hundred is our number. Tilly well no takers on that perhaps by the program next week we might hear from that. Uh if you've missed any s any particular aspect of the program today W W W dot A B C dot net dot A U uh slash uh Hobart tt and uh just check the links through the afternoon program and you will find uh today's language talkback session. Now Roly you do have a last word for us today before we go.
Yes there was a piece in the Brisbane Courier Mail which said the emotion over the decision that's giving Sachin Tendulkar out will louden the call for further technology . And one of the listeners has sent me a poem.
Thanks to Ray Kelly .
. And thanks y thank you Roly Sussex.
""" Hello and welcome to the Chatroom with Gaby tonight. It is world Refugee Day and we've never talked about refugee situations in The Chatroom before and I know there's a lotta passion around this issue. So give us a call one-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six. I wanna hear from you if you have an opinion on the refugee situation  or if you took part in any Refugee Day rallies or activities  if you are a refugee say on a uh temporary protection visa or if you were a refugee who's been granted residency that sort of thing uh if you agree  with the government's handling of the situation. There's a lot of um a lotta push t I I guess a lot of uh talk about not agreeing with the government's situa uh handling of the situation but if you agree  also wanna hear from you tonight. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six what are your concerns. It is the first time that we've discussed refugees in The Chatroom. So let's have some some interesting debate and discussion tonight okay. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six give us a call and here's just a brief overview of what it was all about today. Or perhaps not. Oh yes ."
Give us a call one-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six let's talk about it. Language warning on this tune to get us started.
That's called Seventy-Seven Per Cent by The Herd on Triple J.
One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six tonight. It's world th Refugee Day. I keep going to say World Environment Day. I don't know why it's just stuck in my head. It's World Refugee Day today and so we're just gunna open up the phones tonight and talk about that we've never discussed um the refugee issue on this program so I'm quite looking forward to hearing what you have to say tonight. Let's catch up first with Ben in Melbourne hello Ben.
Hey.
Hi. Now you were at the uh Melbourne rally today.
Yeah yeah. It was uh it was really good it was outside the exhibition building  uh near the IMAX. Um  I'm not too oh I'm pretty sure most of you might know Aladin Sisalem the guy who was detained on uh Manus Island. Was um he came 'n' gave a speech to everyone 'n' thanked everyone for the support and he y'know thanked the Refugee Action Collective and everyone who's uh been more or less sympathetic to the whole situation and uh y'know there's many more people like him in this situation but  it was actually it was quite moving.
Okay. I'm not actually familiar with what his situation is now. Is he on a temporary  protection visa d'you know.
I assume so  he's well he's got residency in Australia but um  he was the last guy left on uh Manus Island and it was him and a cat.
Oh wow.
And uh he's asked them to find the cat except they haven't been able to find it recently so.
Okay.
Alright.
I guess if that's your only companion you you'd be um fairly concerned for its welfare I imagine.
Uh yeah .
Yeah . Um so so were you uh I mean are you passionate about this Ben obviously you've  come to the rally you must be.
Yeah um  uh I was on the T V .
You were .
Yeah I was on A B C . So um  no it was  I've been waiting for  something like this for a while and I think there should have been a better turnout personally.
Okay.
But um no what happened was we uh marched from there down to um  uh Fitzroy town hall . There was a  a festival for the World Refugee Day . So it was all happening there and y'know all the contingents kinda sorta met up there and y'know like I didn't I didn't end up staying for the rest of it 'cos me brother tried to drag me home so  uh and I had a bit of work to do. But it was um no it was it was good to see everyone's kinda y'know people actually give a shit .
Yeah. Lotta young people.
Um yeah yeah and or young and old it was it's uh it's good because uh y'know I've  I think have had this sort of view of the old people being y'know rather sort of bent up conservative sort of people y'know what I mean.
Mhm mhm.
But I  y'know  . Pretty sceptical about that.
Okay. Alright well thanks for your call Ben. Thanks for  telling us how it all  went. See ya. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six. Let's talk to Tony in Sydney hi Tony.
Hi how are you.
I'm well thank you. Now you're in two minds about this issue.
Yeah I am of two minds um. I suppose the first thing is  it's very important that um people who are genuine refugees have the opportunity to live in a safe and comfortable environment. But at the same time too I think we have to be very concerned about our own security. Um and be mindful of that so I I I think that um it sometimes does take time. But genuine refugees do eventually have the opportunity to uh prove their case. And I think that's exactly what um our government is trying to prove at the moment . And I suppose that's just where I sit at the moment.
When you say um you're concerned about our security do you wanna elaborate on that a bit more.
Um  well I I don't think there's too many of us who actually know enough about Australian security . So I suppose it's difficult for everyone. Whether it's someone who's conservative like myself or it's someone who is very um concerned about uh refugees' uh right to have freedom and they wanna see those people who have come to Australia a vih as refugees  released into community as as quickly as possible and and that's something that I'm just of two minds about  um.
So you're  happy that it takes a little bit of time to kinda sort out.
Uh well  I suppose I'm not happy that it does take time but I am happy that that those people who have spent that time  have been proven to be be genuinely in need of help and are now currently living in Australia as free citih uh as as as people who are uh ih ih receiving help from us.
Mhm.
I I don't think we all have enough information  to  y'know to sorta say y'know that things are up and up and uh I I just don't know where we stand at the moment it's it's it's something I don't understand and it's something that concerns me 'cos I don't have enough information given to me.
Okay. Hmm oh alright . Yes  it's a bit of a hmm isn't it.
Yes it is.
Yeah alright Tony well thanks very much  for your call.
No no no worries cheers bye.
Okay bye. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six if you'd like to uh contribute tonight. Let's talk to Tim in Parramatta in Sydney hi Tim.
Hi.
Now what do you think about all this.
Um I think it stands as a testament to what abysmal act or racism this is when even people like John Valder who was a former president of the Liberal party um people like Andrew Wilkie who was an inteh intelligence offr  I think in the highest level of security in Australia are basically turning against Howard on this. Uh when people who are in reasonably prominent positions um even in the Liberal party itself are saying that this policy is  well  wrong I guess. Um y'know it sort of shows how problematic and how bad it actually is.
So it's causing division within the ranks.
Yeah it's certainly causing division within the ranks I think. Um not as much as it would have. Howard as the prime minister has probably got more power than any prime minister in hih Australian history. Um certainly in controlling his own party and the public service. But even then people are turning against him people are speaking out.
Mhm.
Um. And I just uh.
So you you obviously think that the that his policies are are are not  right.
Well I can't I can't understand his motivation other than say on being purely sadistic. Um if he was concerned about defence for instance which a lot of people seem to claim he is  he would have to reform the system because um there was a case a while ago where a suspected war criminal actually got into the country  um and wasn't found for something like fourteen months. Um he pr I would assume that he bribed his way though given that the actual procedure for checking whether someone is a legitimate refugee or whatever is basically down to one person there are no checks and balances. To that side say this person just took off with um whatever money he could from the country and um basically gave a golden handshake to the person checking him.
Oh okay.
So if say Al Qaeda or another terrorist organisation with some degree of funding  well actually Al Qaeda is a funding network not a terrorist organisation so a terrorist organisation connected to Al Qaeda  wanted to infiltrate Australia  as a refugee they would have n um well other than obviously getting on a plane 'n' flying over here with a fake visa which is still much easier  um they would probably find it reasonably easy just to simply enter a detention centre and then bribe their way through. Um because there is no checks and balances on the program there is no  journalists aren't allowed to go inside the camps um no-one really knows what's going on or well people know roughly what's going on but it's trying to be hushed up from a defeh um from point of view of defence it's abysmal.
Do you think that someone would actually accept a bribe to let someone  through who who wasn't a genuine refugee.
Of course um  well if if there's no  if there's no way to um catch them. Well a person actually did a person let a suspected war criminal in. And this is this is something that you would at least assume the government the government and the organisations involved would know about. Um the World Court admittedly is quite  mal ill-equipped due to sort of other problems which would probably be um best deal with another time  but even so some they should be able to find out hang on we've got a suspected war criminal um in our midst y'know . So if they can't if they can't find say someone who's suspected of well crimes against humanity  et cetera in um a refugee camp what chance do they have of finding someone who might be connected to a terrorist terrorist organisation.
So Howard should address that.
Um how you ih . Basic basically introduce what should be happening with the public service in this country and  have um greater transparency greater checks and balances.
Okay . To to to stop that sorta thing happening.
Yeah well  that shouldn've happened to prevent any problems from happening anything from um someone who someone from coming into the country who shouldn't come in to um maltreatment of the refugees overmedih um overprescription of medication which  was quite a big issue on a Four Corners program. Um violence 'n' beating of refugees I've heard quite a few cases of . Um mal not them not being fed en anything basically  we need to be able to check and find out what's going on.
Okay. Yeah be interesting to uh to to really get in and and see what is happening. Jim  thanks for your call.
Not a problem.
See you later . One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six. Give us a call if you'd like to comment on what uh Tim Tony or Ben have said uh tonight or if you'd like to offer your own opinion.
Well it's gunna be so exciting isn't it hang on to the seat of your pants Queensland. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six.
That's right we're talking about uh World Refugee Day today and uh getting some different opinions and that sort of thing. If you're uh if you are a refugee on a uh T P V temporary prodect protection visa or if you were a refugee who's been granted residency. And we'll hear from uh someone who has been granted residency little later on in the show  who spoke to Steve Cannane. Uh I'd love to hear from you tonight give us a call uh ih of of course if you agree with the government's handling of the refugee uh situation or if you disagree with it then give us a call. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six trying to get to as many calls tonight as possible. Let's talk to Steven in Tullington hi Steven.
Hi there thanks um yeah uh uh look it was just terrific today um I visit someone in Villawood um Atta Zahidi who's uh uh a great uh bloke he's Iranian young chap uh he's been stuck in Villawood for fourteen months y'know he still manages to keep his spirits up somehow but um y'know this is just. And y'know theh the people are charged y'know when they leave um when they're finally found to be legitimate refugees. I mean this is ap an appalling thing that didn't even happen in the Second World War. I mean my father came from Austria during the Second World War went to New Zealand. Never stent wuh never spent one miserable day in detention. Y'know  and the the world was a far more dangerous place in in uh nineteen y'know forty than it wuh is in uh two-thousand-and-four. Believe me I mean you you'd know  uh also but um  y'know people are wrecked in detention. And it's not time to  there was a bloke who called in earlier on who's sorta vacillating y'know might be a good idea might not be a good idea not really sure well it's time for him to go to Villawood. And you can visit people in Villawood there's no restriction it's a bit of a wait it's terribly inefficient and uh people are not that polite but um y'know you can meet people 'n' you can find out the truth. There's no I don't really think there's a much of an excuse for people not to know what's going on . Um there was a fabulous program on this morning  uh it was on Radio National it was um Background Briefing repeated at seven P M on on or ten past seven P M on uh t on Tuesday. Uh brilliant program guh it was saying how how the whole thing is set up with the private companies and  who's making the money and what people go through  and about those  recent the HREOC report 'n' stuff. There was it was  very very guh uh mm um tt Tom Morton put the thing together brilliant um Background Briefing yeah.
Oh okay.
And um. Look . We've gotta leap a as I say leap ahead make sure this can never happen again in our history. It's just  it it it's just not something that a civilised countr country does y'know. Lock up people throw away the key not charge them not do anything. In theory I mean not in theory but the f the courts have said yeah we can keep someone in in detention for the rest of their lives . If we're not prepared to send them back to I mean the bloke I visit in Villawood  uh uh I mean he's got this constant threat of being s uh sent back to Iran . Which is  which is awful it's not a very nice regime. Uh.
Is it must be very difficult to live in that environment and not know not be able to make any plans for your  future.
Well well that that's right I mean he does manage to keep his his spirits up uh or or put a good face on that which have which which um in the end I think can't be sustained but y'know full marks for him for being  y'know so so uh  uh y'know.
Steven how is it that you came to start visiting someone in the Villawood detention centre.
Um. Uh I I visited um a fair while ago I think it was um a friend 'cos before Hassan there was Aamer Sultan who's who's now free . Who did that fantastic report with a bloke called um uh uh um a bloke called Zachary Steel on the um he was a doctor um on the effects of detention on women and children . And uh  that was a while back I I'm not sure how I  I must have gone with someone else I went to see the outside of it with a friend and it was so shocking. If you don't wanna actually visit someone inside the uh inside Villawood go and have a look at the outside of it  and that will tell you enough that will tell you  a lot that you need to know . Just the just the size of it.
Yeah I've got.
And that should be uh that should've been on the front page of the Herald this morning. You know a picture of that. That it was Refugee Day today. And I don't think to be honest with you I I I think y'know Background Briefing was fantastic but I don't think the A B C had enough about it and I don't think the Herald had enough about it and I don't think the Australian had enough about it. I think the the mainstream media have been  um h have not  to put it mildly have not done their job on this one . They've bought into the government um y'know propaganda big time.
I had a look at the papers this morning um Steven and I uh to be honest I couldn't really find it much about it at all . Um and I I had a bit of a look at uh I I played actually an excerpt from the A B C news at the start of the show  which um which gave uh a report on on what was going on and the  um the sailors that went to Nauru but it was strange the the sort of  lack of coverage I had expected  more.
If I can say it's something like I I I grew up in England actually as you can probably tell and my father came was a refugee went to New Zealand and then  actually la uh wound up in England and like I used to wonder what it was like in the Third Reich in Germany and Austria  y'know with the things that were happening  what were the newspapers doing . And now I know what the newspapers were doing. The newspapers were doing there  during the rise of when Hitler was in power what they were doing here they were ig ignoring the abuses of power. Now there they had an excuse. In Germany they had an excuse. I'd love to know what the excuse is here . From the editors of the major papers. Maybe they're saying oh people don't want to read about that. But I think if they put stuff if they were brave  people would read it y'know and for them they had the the passion in it. And I think we folk need to put all the pressure we can on the Labor party who hopefully will get in not because I love the Labor party but because I think they're a  a slightly better alternative we  need to loh uh wuh we need to light a f get rid of Howard and light a fire under Latham.
Mhm.
For sure that's what we 'n' really keep the pressure on. And if there's ever a uh uh look. Y'know l like when I first came to Australia like peop uh my relatives said y'know what Australians are really aren't political. And I think that's sort of currently true I mean it's same as  it's uh actually the same in Britain to a large extent  but I think y'know this is what happens when you're not political when you're uh don't really care about people . I'm sorry to s say that 'n' I'm 'n' I'm  and and and and theh and there are some gr fan the the the activists I've met here are the best y'know . And on the East Timor front all sorts of  but I uh y'know people at large  they really need to care in that sort of trying to see the big picture . Not just care about their family and friends that's fine that's everyone does that  hopefully but y'know um the  the the the big picture and get  active even if it's just writing a letter just to start off with. Just do something  just um  it is a h it's whole lotta fun I have to say . And uh y'know full marks I say to um to uh Merlin uh uh Luck who's just made a s a superb example . He's just wuh I I just take my hat off.
He's really brought it uh into the limelight hasn't he. Steven thanks very much for your call it's been uh terrific  'n' see you later.
All the best.
Okay bye. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six I knew we'd uh get some passionate responses tonight let's talk to Theo in Melbourne Theo how you going.
Great Gaby and yourself.
Yeah not too bad thank you.
Great stuff look tonight's a great topic because hey everybody gets to voice something and Triple J let's it happen. I just wanna say that uh I agree with that other caller about um refugees having to stay where they are temporarily. Whether it takes a year or two years hey it's a normal process of y'know going through checking out who it is that's the refugee or  y'know what their background is like. Because when you wanna visit a country these these days they've gotta actually know who you are. So all these refugees have come over from uh another country fair enough they have their own r reasons but we can't just willy nilly let 'em in because we don't know what their backgrounds are.
Mhm.
So y'know it's um I totally agree with what's going on. Only as well because  y'know they've gotta just basically check who they are and I don't think it's as bad as the papers make it out to be in in uh um in basically where they are where where they've  where they've uh got 'em uh temporarily. I agree that it's y'know probably poor conditions but I don't think that they're actually being treated bad. 'Cos the government wouldn't let it happen . They'd look bad they'd really look bad. So by having them and having the papers and having people just battling it out trying to get 'em outta there the government's actually saying hang on y'know let's um uh y'know let's see who we're leavih leaving y'know come into the country. So I think that yes it's it's right what's going on. I don't know the whole inside and outs of course 'cos we don't know what is true and what isn't true . The government does a few things good in uh in our lives I guess and this is one of 'em.
So do you feel that you feel that it's uh as a security issue it's it's y'know it ih it so it doesn't  what I'm trying to say is it's it's cool for y'know that uh to be detained for as long as it takes basically to suss out your background and all that kinda thing whether that's y'know a couple of months or a couple of years or or whatever.
Well the thing is if you d if you don't wanna be detained I guess you can ask them hey I'll go back to my country  I'll leave y'know a letter saying here that I wanna come back as a refugee. They may not have anywhere to go but if they wanted to stay in Australia I guess they could just y'know wear it out I mean they're reading I I I'm assuming they'd be eating guaranteed I mean they're all alive. So they'd be all eating they'd be drinking. But there's a process they'd be waiting for that has to basically happen and that is let's see what their backgrounds are. Who are they. Y'know we we can't let uh for example billionaires into the country or murderers into the country we don't know what they'll do.
Mm mm tt.
So  y'know I I I agree with what's going on if if um and letting this happen tonight by Triple J letting this happen tonight it's great 'cos all you hear is refugees are y'know being treated bad being treated badly that's all you hear on the radio you never get anyone saying y'know s the opposite end of the conversation I guess.
Mm mm.
So.
I'm really pleased that um that we're getting a variety of opinion tonight because as I think that's that's really valuable for the debate on this y'know n n no-one uh what's right and what's wrong is is totally arbitrary y'know and and  that's that's what I I love actually about just being able to open up the phones and go hey what do you think. Just ring us and tell us and it y'know it doesn't matter if it's for against or or whatever. All the opinions are valid definitely.
Well that's see that's that's great stuff I mean look if you get other callers like myself for example who agree with what's going on hey you'll know at least that there is some other people out there thinking there's a reason for this going on . Y'know there's ih we just don't let 'em in there willy nilly and throw 'em in there and don't feed 'em or don't do anything like everybody else is saying. They're in there they're eating they have to wait for their process. I have to wait for my process for something else I guess they'll have to wait for that.
Mm okay then. Theo thanks very much for ringing.
Great stuff thanks Gaby.
See you later.
See you.
Bye. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six give us a call with your opinion tonight on The Chatroom. Hey I um popped down to the the um World Refugee Day rally in Sydney today and um I caught up with uh what was her name. Ruth Radcliffe was the lady's name. She was one of the organisers of today's rally in uh Sydney and um I asked her how she felt about how it all went down.
On Triple J outta Scotland that's Idlewild. A Modern Way of Letting Go and Tonjip as well with Coolite just before that.
One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six tonight it's World Refugee Day and we're talking about that a range of opinions it's great to uh  to to hear from you tonight especially since this is the first time we've sorta broached this uh topic in The Chatroom. Very much looking forward to what we have uh to say for the rest of the night let's talk to Britney in Sydney hi Britney.
Hi.
Now what would you like to say tonight.
Um I'd just like to talk about how um I live in the western suburbs of Sydney and I go to a fairly what right wing school and I was trying to like encourage some of my friends to come to the the march at Sydney today and uh they were like y'know I'm like hey come to the wuh y'know the march about refugees and they were like  what are you talking about there's no there's y'know there's like they'd rather not be interested in it at all right they they'd rather be y'know remain y'know ignorant about the situation that's going on they'd rather not be involved and it's just y'know it really makes me really quite angry because I think there was only two or three people that were really interested in coming. And I was like y'know this is like why cah why can't the people y'know the youth of today especially people out in the western suburbs remain ignorant of y'know stuff that's going on y'know which they should be getting involved.
Why do you think the ignorance is there.
Um because I think they just  because they're so sheltered like out where I live like they're so sheltered they'd much rather not become involved like it's just it's just obviously too hard for them they just don't feel like they can make a difference . And it's just like um  y'know it's like I did the same thing for the anti-war protest I was like yeah let's go student strike. And all my friends were like the war's okay y'know like and I'm like I was like really quite angry because they didn't really have any s they didn't most of them didn't have even have an opinion.
Oh okay. See I reckon y'know  you can be either way on an issue but I reckon it's really important to have an opinion to be honest.
Yeah it's like it makes me quite angry because like like there's just it's just people will be like well y'know if the government's saying it's okay it's okay.
Mhm.
And that can't that just makes me 'cos you just suh if you don't have an opinion  y'know you don't you don't really have a voice and you just it's so important that y'know people my age like people of the school like y'know it's just have a voice because y'know it's just it's so important.
So if they did have a strong opinion about it but it was contrary to yours.
Yeah.
You you'd respect that.
Of course I respect it  but I I just think it it's just I think it's just an imph uh I think it's just an importuh important to res  important to have  sorry uh. Duh uh important yeah important to have an opinion.
How is it that you've um you've you've sort of stumbled onto this and and become passionate about these issues.
Um well I live also in Redfern 'cos um my parents have live in separate suburbs and um I also live in Redfern so I often y'know I just  like I I don't I just see it as a kind of  my dad is also very passionate about it and he's just y'know he's just I've become y'know I've seen people come around and talk about y'know how  how y'know I just I dunno I just become really passionate about y'know just a lot of people I know like y'know talked about their friends ab who have been in um y'know refugee detention centres and stuff and I was just talking about how incredibly y'know how how mean they can be y'know it's just like they completely ignore y'know hunger strikes and stuff like that and it's just how can you how can you y'know ignore that sorta stuff.
So what would you do perhaps to um to encourage your friends to to form an opinion.
Oh I just I just  basically tell them that they're stupid  if they don't have an opinion.
And have has that influenced anybody into going  do you know.
Um yeah guh qu um I think some of my friends have just I think either way have become a little bit more opinionated because y'know I just kind of just been like kinda getting really angry at them if they don't have an opinion . And so I'd be like y'know you really have to have an opinion on this sorta thing I said oh yeah come to the march with me and if you don't y'know be really strong behind y'know your beliefs 'n' stuff and they're just like oh nah nah well I don't really I'm not really interested.
Apathetic.
Yeah 'n' it's just like  y'know it's just it's it's just it's just the western suburbs it's just like y'know I'd much be more interested in my souped-up car y'know.
Oh okay okay. Uh that's interesting 'cos um I think it was Tim before who was saying that Australians just aren't aware of what's going on around them  that they're very insular they're very into whatever's going on in their uh their own day to day life but not looking outside of that.
Yeah.
So um you're obviously not which is um  which is very cool I reckon  . Alright Britney well thanks for your call.
No worries.
See you later . 'N' good luck with your friends alright.
Yep.
Okay seeya.
Bye.
Let's talk to Eddie in Brisbane now g'day Eddie . Thanks for holding on there. Good how are you.
Yeah not too bad mate.
What would you like to say tonight.
Um  I'd  well first like to state that uh I'm an indigenous Australian  and I I just I just find it really interesting how uh  white Australia perceive themselves  as um  believing that this is their country  . Uh I mean obviously I've  I'l I'l I lived here  with with the rest of the white minority  moh majority but I I honestly do believe there's a  um an underlying  current that  no matter what happens if you speak a different language if you look a bit strange if you wear a funny turban if you have funny little dreadlocks or you  look a little bit different uh you will not be accepted in this society. And I'd just like to say to white Australia that uh  you are the visitor. And that black man  this is his country and it always will be. And you should be at least more accepting of other cultures that are wanting to come to this country and some of them I've spent my whole life growing up with Turkish Yugoslavs Asians and there's been good and bad in all of those people . Uh with drug abuse  uh violence 'n' all and all the rest there's been good and bad . And I can't say a particularly any particular race that um that I can pick as being  clean where the white majority seem to think that they're clean. They're clean of their sins or clean of clean of ever doing anything wrong . And they choose to speak out against other people  purely because they're different and I I just say  y'know I'm I'm suppose I'm like the Statue of Liberty singing bring 'em all in mate y'know . 'Cos you're gunna have good and bad it doesn't matter what . And if we're gunna get bombed at there's gunna be a plane that's gunna fly into  uh well a high rise bris Brisbane building it's gunna come and it's gunna happen and whatever what what may be will come . But I don't think it's gunna oo um reflect on whether we take in uh  thirty-five boat refugees from Vietnam. I don't see it hap I don't see that happening as they kind of sitting there saying we're gunna plot 'n' we're gunna send a a fake refugee boat across to kill those  white Australians  y'know  I I just the paranoid Australian  white Australian thinking I just really'd like to like to challenge the people out there listening uh Steve I think his name was Steve before . Interesting guy  like to have a chat with him Britney champion stand up for yourself girl. Power to you . And.
There's a certain irony isn't there I think you touched on just then that that n y'know given the history of of of white settlement in this country. And now y'know uh turning round and saying well  y'know you can't come in and you can't come in  kinda thing.
That's right mate they're all from England or Scotland Ireland or Welsh I mean my my grandfather's a Welshman. I mean I my background's Keppel Island my my father's from Torres Strait but I mean I grew up in Inala in one of the poorest toughest suburbs ih in Brisbane which is it's almost like Balmain and and Redfern. It's y'know very tough and it's a very strong Asian content very strong uh  Middle Eastern European content  but I mean th it's good 'n' bad in everyone and  I just really wish wish people would see it I mean that song by The Herd you played when y'know wake up . Just wake up.
Wake up the country needs a.
Yeah yeah.
Shake up .
Play it three times a day just just do a Triple M on it dude and play it six times  a day .
Make it make it a high rotation huh.
Yeah flog it sister .
We'll see how we go eh . Alright Eddie  thanks very much for your call.
Thanks for your time Gab.
Okay see ya.
Bye.
One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six uh this is so interesting tonight isn't it let's talk to uh Peter. Now if I just grab him on the uh telephone hello Peter.
G'day Gaby how you going.
I'm well how are you.
Fantastic thanks.
Now you'd like to comment on uh some of the security issues and that kinda thing.
Yeah I would first I'd just like to um  um say good on you Eddie thanks for uh  an extremely ed eloquent addition to the um  to the talk tonight and Steven earlier as well 'n' everybody it's it's heartening to realise that there are more than ten or fifteen of us out there that  um are horrified about what's happening to people in real need um  that twenty-five thirty years ago we uh were able to um  assist thousands of refugees from Vietnam yet uh when a hundred-and-fifty or two-hundred people  come over from a demonstratedly evil regime similar to what they were putting up with we have difficulty with. 'N' we put them in a  a dog box in the middle of the desert um . Run by people that are making a profit out of it and um and pat ourselves on the back for saving ourselves from these dreaded terrorists . Um it it uh it's abhorrent um but uh I'm glad everybody's talking about it . That's what we need to do more of us need to talk and act and the rallies today were were very  heartening to see that they were happening . Um  security issues um  I'll give you a brief background of myself I've had um a long history with um the Australian Defence Forces  um particularly um um longer range reconnaissance and um um I have our acquaintances that were with the S A S and still are. Um so I've had a bit of contact with the the the things that most people don't see or hear about . Um I'm not about to tell you that we we still run and hide to the hills but um and and  yeah some of the things that people need to be worried about they aren't and most of the things that they're worried about they shouldn't be. Um I don't seem to recall in anything that I've seen uh about the people that trained to be pilots 'n' took control of airliners in the U S A that they made their way to the U S A in um leaky boats over the  period of nine months . Um they walked through airports. With valid visas. And if anybody from say Jemaah Islamiyah wishes to come to Australia to do that sort of uh harm then that's exactly how they'll do it. They're not going to be coming across with um women and children as a cover. That's just ludicrous and  um typical of some of the um  mindless rhetoric that we've had from this government . Uh.
'Cos I think the thing those sorta things are tied together in in in a lotta people's minds y'know the whole  the refugee issue  and the security kind of thing.
Fear of the unknown. Look I'm not I'm not um  uh silly enough to call for a a a a an instant end to mandatory detention. Um  we that we also need to look at what we call mandatory detention. Um in the same way as there are three different ways of being um kept in prison everything from a prison farm where people come and go and look after themselves through to maximum security. We need to have um a varying degree of detention for people coming in. Um naturally there's the issue of disease  both um human and um uh carry uh pathogens that may destroy our our various primary industries that's certainly an issue. Um  we need to say okay um a ten year old child is not likely to be strapping themselves up with five kilograms of plastic explosive so in Woomera where they have access to hundreds of vacant rooms in much better condition uh much better living conditions then put the women and children in those areas. Now if the women and children are there and in being looked after their husbands and partners are not likely to be going to to do too many silly things . And putting people into conditions to and treating them like animals has been proven time and again to be an excellent way to um convert a a normally peaceful person into doing something crazy like sewing their lips together.
See that's the thing I think a l a uh l that l people y'know you see these images of the lip sewing on on the news and that kinda thing  and and people are think oh well look at the kind of people they are  but but when you are in a pressure situation like  that uh like you said it can make people act in a way that they wouldn't  normally act.
Now I have a family and um given the same situation I would be doing exactly the same thing. Anything that I could do to draw attention to our plight . Y'know all uh ih if people just take five minutes to shut their eyes and put themselves in that same position. Australia's been attacked with nuclear weapons we need to go to Indonesia for um assistance to escape some terrible tragedy. Now what would happen if we went over there and were treated like that . Y'know where would we be. At any rate we'll get back to the security issues.
Okay.
Um. Like I say a lot of people are concerned about things they shouldn't be a lot of people don't have a clue about the things they should be concerned about. Um  I've seen some very interesting things up north. We have a very effective highway running between um down through the highlands um for weapons for marijuana for all kinds of illicit things. I've seen that first hand um I have acquaintances who live in that area and know an awful lot of interesting things um  so y'know and that trade will continue on. There's  very little that can happen with that. Coastwatch has some excellent capabilities uh our over-the-horizon radar uh has some excellent capabilities but um someone who's serious and motivated um will have access to certain technologies certain boats that will not show up with radar um and they'll slip in undetected . Um there has been things found um around the northern areas of Australia that have proved that people have been coming in for an awful long time and um burying things that they might be able to use if they say came over at a later stage . Um now look I'm not advocating that we launch a pre-emptive strike. I know some people might like that and we might fit in well with our friends across the Pacific they might we might get a pat on the back for a pre-emptive strike  but um  my point is that uh the people that we are most concerned about are the ones who really hah we really have the least  defences against . They're the individual who has everything they need to do everything they need to achieve their ends  buried in their mind. They come across they buy a couple of kilograms of fertiliser . Many household products you can buy in bulk quantities and um over the course of a couple of weeks cook up into other things in speed  and um be able to achieve the ends that you wish.
So  whe people are people are really overly concerned about the wrong sort of issue.
Most definitely.
Yeah.
I mean look at the y'know the apparent the allegedly the world's greatest intelligence services. None of them  either foresaw or took notice of several people that they knew were of of interest  learning how to fly um passenger  jets . Because   for them it was inconceivable um yet it happened . So um look at the bit picture 'n' and and all I can say is that uh those who waver in or believe that most politicians have the best interests in mind is that  any time that you see something in the news or anything that occurs that makes you  um lose control of your emotions or think my God what are these people doing the the children overboard farce  um things like that. Take a step back and think  okay what's that what's really going on take control of your emotions for a few moments and look around to see what else is going on because if nothing else uh John Howard is the master of misdirection . Um  I give him that he's an absolute master at it . And you you look back and and uh politicians in general as well there's a a lot of things going on all over the place um that they would rather they'd there wasn't a lot of scrutiny on and that comes down to trade um  trade agreements things like that.
He's a very um he's very very good at at at at playing politics I think.
Mm he's an  excellent politician and I'm  that's not a compliment .
Alright Peter  we might  leave it there.
Sorry.
We might leave it there I think.
Uh yes sorry I'll.
No no that's okay no  problem at all.
Okay then.
Thanks very much for your  call. And cheers have a good one.
Have a great night bye-bye.
You too bye. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six it's coming up to ten o'clock uh Fenella's in after eleven with The Sound Lab give you bit more impo  on that later on we're talking about World Refugee Day today. Love to hear from you if you are  or have been a refugee or if you took part in any of the uh activities today or just if you have an opinion uh whether you agree or don't agree with the government's um legislation and and handling of the situation. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six tonight on The Chatroom with Gaby here on Triple J.
The Last Days Of April on Triple J. It's On Everything.
One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six tonight we're talking about World Refugee Day if you can't get through please be patient if you're waiting on the phone please also be patient I will get to you uh as soon as possible. Let's talk to Michael in New South Wales hi Michael.
Yeah hi Gaby.
Hi now what would you like to uh say tonight.
Well um I'm the H R manager at a meat processor in the south western part of New South Wales. And we've had uh at at various times up to about ninety Afghani guys on on uh T P Vs working for us.
Oh okay temporary prodec protection visas yep.
Yeah yeah um and so they've um  they've been going through the process of getting their residency . Um but uh I guess from a personal perspective I I um  um my opinions on on refugees 'n' and the process has changed over the last couple of years that I've been working with them. Um for a long time I was of the opinion that that um  uh I guess the rule of law is important in Australia 'n' it  um that's one of the reason it makes us attractive to refugees is that uh that Australia's fairly well run um uh  we're fairly safe in in this country um there's opportunity here if you if you're willing to  hard . Um and  one of the big reasons for that opportunity is is that that we we have some fairly strong laws but I I guess working working with guys coming from some fairly terrible situations um softens your view on it. Um.
What sorta view do you have now.
Well   uhs uh I still don't know the I still don't know the answer to the problem. Um  but I I think um. The guys that we've had working for us have come from all sorts of all sorts of professions and walks of life uh we've had guys as that have been schoolteachers you have fellas that have have um driven fruit trucks guys that have been farmers um you name it uh um and we've had them . Um they're they're just ordinary people like you and me they've they've um y'know they've got families behind they're they're trying to uh save money and pay the bills 'n' um  uh one of the earlier callers probably hit the nail on the head anybody that's uh different to us uh is always regarded with some sort of fear and suspicion. Um now now whether it's whether you're Koori 'n' and someone else is white or or you're white and someone's Koori or whether uh particularly if you're an English speaker and someone comes from an Asian or a or an Arabic country where where the differences are much more pronounced. Um people are always gunna be re regarded with suspicion . Um but  but um uh uh I guess you don't have to scratch the skin very deep 'n' and they're they're  they're just ordinary people underneath.
So thuh so working with these guys from Afghanistan has has really changed your opinion of uh on refugees and your stance on that. What how did the guys settle in. What was  it like for them do you think.
Well obviously it was very different for them. Um  theh they they have a um  um it's some things they they um had more difficulty with than others . Um we we did a little bit of um  uh I I suppose external external work with them sort of helping them them do uh sort of stepping into the into the Australian society and so on . Uh th they have a fairly strong support group locally it's uh I think it's fairly unofficial rather than than being government funded or anything like that. Um but um the the local guys uh the local or mostly ladies I think um help them with their uh bank accounts 'n' um  uh uh driving licences  things like that yeah  yeah.
So the  community really got behind them 'n' 'n' 'n' helped them sorta settle settle into the new the new life.
Yeah yeah it sort of y'know we're a we're a country community and there was a there was a bit of a um a bit of a  uh kerfuffle I suppose um at one stage where there were some um  some fairly strong racist statements being made.
Okay.
But um that tended tended to be external agitators. 'N' 'n' what it really did was that it it seemed to make the local people who really couldn't care either way . Um y'know long as these guys kept to themselves and didn't bother them they no-one  r mostly no-one cared. Um people were very concerned that the community would be painted with a um in a in a or painted in a in a very bad light. Um so they tended then to jump off the fence and and be supportive.
Okay.
Um and and so certainly the local council is very supportive . Uh and that tends to be the the general community feeling . Um if if people really are concerned at all and and most of them are just just prepared to let them get on with their lives 'n'  um and just li live normally like everybody else does.
Well that's heartening. Excellent.
. Yeah so I guess  I dunno. Um  as as far as the the process goes the T P Vs last for three years.
Mhm.
Um and at at thirty month  have a letter from the .
We're losing you Michael.
Mm uh . We're losing you. Yeah we're losing you sorry Michael we'll uh thank you very much for your call. Uh we might have to leave that there. There's a couple of websites you might wanna have a look at uh of course you can you can just google it or you can use a search engine 'n' 'n' 'n' have a squiz uh I dunno you probably type in Australia or refugee whatever but um there are a couple of website that you might wanna look at. Uh one is of course the uh Department of Immigration Multicultural and inh Indigenous Affairs now that has quite an odd email uh web address rather. It's W W W dot immi dot gov dot A U immi is I double M I dot gov dot A U gov G O V uh there's also the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Now that is dub dub dub dot U N H C R  that's hard to remember till you remember that it stands for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Dub dub dub dot U N H C R dot C H. Or you can go to the Australian version of that which is uh dub dub dub dot Australia for U N H C R dot org dot A U. I'm gunna put these up on the uh Chatroom website at the end of the show okay so you'll be able to check them out there uh if you wanna have a bit of a look and um y'know might might add something to the debate for you or uh or your opinions in your mind. According to the brochure that I got at the um the rally today there's apparently a hundred-and-sixty-eight children uh currently in detention in Australian detention centres across the country. Uh just a few little facts for you. And um also I while I was at the um the uh well after the rally today I caught up with Ruth Radcliffe who is one of organisers of t of the um Sydney rally and um I'll play you um a little bit of what she said in just a minute.
That's Ruth Radcliffe who is uh on the organising committee for the Sydney rally of uh World Environment uhf oh I said it again. I keep saying World Environment Day. I don't know why that's lodged in my head. It just is it's strangest thing. Um World Refugee Day of course which is our topic on The Chatroom tonight one-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six let's talk to Brett in Victoria hi Brett.
How're you going.
Hey good thanks. What would you like to say tonight.
Oh basically start off with so everyone knows where I'm coming from I disagree with the way that the uh government is dealing with the situation at this point in time. I do agree with the security issues to some point but uh as one uh of your previous people said that they uh the security issue isn't as great as uh people make it out to be. But uh just to highlight just one aspect that I'm aware of that uh realistically these p places where these people are staying although they are being held um in detention so to speak they were military bases at one stage which were fine for our y'know our defence forces that used to go and fight 'n' save our lives 'n' all that sorta thing. And they had to spend billions of dollars to upgrade them so that they were acceptable for refugees. I think that that's uh something that's sorta lost on a lotta people that y'know turn around 'n' say that they haven't got any good conditions and that they are in appalling conditions well if they're in appalling conditions they should really be uh backing up the uh defence force 'n' trying to get uh something happening to the defence force.
Yeah there's a an interesting point. Because uh yeah. No I s I um I'm just thinking h how I wonder how much of that is  uh okay so the government did the upgrade. Okay  yeah I I was just.
The government's done the upgrade basically they were  active bases at one stage . Um then they were taken offline and uh one of 'em was a case of right we're closing down this base and we're turning it into a refugee camp and uh that was basically it they spent  uh heaps of money trying to upgrade it. Uh obviously some of it had to be to cater to families  and children and I definitely disagree with the fact that they're hel holding children. But um yeah they had to spend lots of money to uh upgrade . So that these people y'know so. And people yet still complain how bad conditions are there and  I mean  agreeably uh regrettably so these people uh if put into a position where they feel that they need to highlight situation so they do dramatic things 'n' they basically deteriorate their own conditions by doing that. So they've the damage that they cause basically affects them and other people living in the uh detention centres.
Mm I mean it's interesting how a phrase like appalling conditions can also be interpreted in in a lotta different ways. Y'know like uh someone may say the conditions were appalling because they're thinking okay these people are locked up and that that's that's y'know that's why they say that but theh they may not even be talking about the building and then someone else will say oh okay obviously it's a complete slum and then y'know there it's like kinda like one of those Chinese whispers things almost 'n'.
Well it it uh well  many many years many years ago they actually turn round 'n' when this actually started hap when they were putting 'em into the detention centres 'n' stuff like that they were saying that the facilities aren't up to scratch and  I mean seriously they've been given a whole heap more facilities th th that our defence forces don't have or have to pay extra to get and that the government's just gone yep no worries. Here it all is and uh people are saying nup the facilities aren't up to scratch . So I mean  look. Having said that though I disagree with uh what's happening with them I think that I don't have a complete answer but y'know even maybe a immigration community zone like a y'know like a shire council type area sizewise where they have um y'know people sort of living and working not actually b behind bars and behind a caged fence  so to speak but just something a little bit more family friendly  um so that those 'cos I do believe that the security checks need to be done um. I believe that ninety-five percent of people that are coming through are legitimate but then I have heard of situations where ex uh Iraqi republican guard have been y'know sent back to Iraq  y'know from I think it was Woomera I I think I heard that one from but uh y'know these security checks do need to be taking place but I think two years is far too long to do them so.
I don't understand why it takes that long to be honest. That's always been a sticking point with me I'm thinking well y'know why  how can it take that long to suss out where someone's from.
Oh it's well it's the fact that they give uh false information but uh the  in in England they they do it in less than six months.
Yeah.
So I mean if England can do it in less than six months and we're supposed to be  under the umbrella of the uh British so to speak with the uh queen and such shouldn't we be running that way instead of doing the old uh head up Bush's arse thing and y'know doing it their way so.
Doing it yeah for s taking so long and all that . Yeah I dunno it's it's it's w it's one for debate definitely I'd be interested if um if anyone like to comment on what you've said.
Well just before I've just I've just to cut 'n' get fifteen more minutes of fame so to speak   but uh  the the the tamp the Tampa um situation um when they put them on H M A S Manoora and moved them to uh one of the islands. Um can't remember which one but uh I know for a fact that uh the uh ship's company afterwards I know a few of 'em weren't too happy with the way things went down on the ship but uh having to clean up faeces off walls 'n' um off the roofs of the ships 'n' all that sorta stuff 'n' the amount of damage that they did on the ship on that um short ride. I mean admittedly it was more than a week from the Tampa to the actual island but uh yeah the amount of  trauma they caused the crew  that y'know ill-prepared for what was actually going on weren't didn't uh receive any training for . And I think that's also a problem with our immigration uh ih not the  yeah the detention centre um security guards they're not they're more security guards than uh than detention centre  y'know watchers. They they haven't received the proper training so  I think that goes.
This is not. They're unusual situations. Y'know the we're not talking about y'know your regular security situations we're talking about y'know luh like we were saying before people who have come from sih yih situations of of extreme pressure and and y'know after being on wuh you mentioned the Tampa. After being on the Tampa for so long I can only imagine that that it musta been you know pretty difficult to be loaded onto the Manoora and and and shipped off again. I I dunno but um but like you said. If the guards aren't having special training to deal with situations like this then that that can be a problem.
these people are coming from uh areas where like at thirteen they become a man 'n' they go through ritual  some sorta ritual and they receive scarring from that sort of  ritual I mean there it's completely different culture than to what we understand  'n' y'know it's  something's something's gotta be better done for it that's for sure 'n' I I I do not believe anything that Howard says. And uh do not believe a lotta what politicians say and the way they go about things I think that uh yeah. I think that more people need to sort of step up 'n' say look now we gotta do something better about it we gotta  sorta try 'n' think of something better for it too. So it doesn't it doesn't affect as many people  as what it is. That's right but I mean  I I just wanted to sorta highlight the fact that y'know a lotta people are making a big song and dance about certain things but y'know if they're gunna make a  a song and dance about uh the conditions the the facilities that they live in y'know they should be uh taking uh taking up arms about uh the way our defence force is treated then  because I mean the defence force don't get a  haven't received the facilities that uh y'know these guys received when they first when it first happened I don't know what it's like these days . Considering how many people been through 'n'  y'know what sort of what they've done to it 'n' stuff like that but uh yeah  just the amount of facility upgrade 'n' the the amount of money they spent putting that putting that up so yeah.
Alright then well  you've you've raised some very interesting points um definitely Brett 'n' thanks for your call.
No worries Gaby catch ya later.
Okay. Yihs you too see ya bye.
Bye.
One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six tonight if you'd like to uh comment or offer your own opinion World Refugee Day is today that's our topic tonight in the chat.
We just heard Home Is Where The Heart Is from John Butler Trio it's a song about refugees so it's appropriate for tonight we're talking about World Refugee Day. Now so many calls apologies if you're trying to get through and you can't or if you're hanging on the phone be patient uh promise we won't be too long. Uh let's talk to Leah on the Gold Coast hi Leah.
Hi Gaby.
What would you like to say.
Um I'd just like to put forward the idea that um Amanda Vanstone is the new um immigration officer. Is that that's right isn't it.
She's the minister for immigration yeah.
Yeah. Okay um she seems like a reasonable and quite intelligent lady um quite responsible and um I'm hoping that she's receiving some ideas and putting forward the ideas to um maybe make a better lifestyle for the mandatory detention the uh the refugees in them. Because I mean I don't seem to hear any sort of counteract arguments from the government saying that they are in fact doing cultural um initiatives within the mandatory detention. I don't see any artwork from the mandatory detention. I mean there's no discussion about self-sufficiency of the mandatory detention there's a lotta discussion about um underfunding I mean I'm sure that a lot of activities that could go on in the detention centre are probably overwhelmed with pathetic workplace health and safety requirements like they can't have a shovel in case they do something. I mean I'm just I'm just confused that the government hasn't come forward and said hey look y'know you might be thinking this way that the media's portrayed the detention centres but actually we're doing a whole heap of really good things. I mean this argument's been going on for like eighteen months or something and it's just like whoa.
They have been kinda silent on the issue really haven't they . I mean every so often they come out and go uh well y'know bluh bluh blu bluh blah but there's never anything mm like I think you said on the phone there's never anything proactive about it.
Yeah  I meh I mean I'm really concerned about their P R work because I mean if they were a a private organisation that the last thing they would wanna be doing is taking a back burner on such a big issue. I mean the g the the financial situation of Australia we're in a surplus I'm sure we can afford three-million dollars to bloody pay for some paint and get some volunteers to go in and coordinate projects for them. Y'know I just don't hih sih hear any sorta community involvement or the government saying look we've got this new um initiative why don't some volunteers step forward I mean how many people were at the march today over two thousand.
Mm.
I mean I'm sure that within that two-thousand people there's probably a hundred qualified people that could go and volunteer.
Perhaps the government are silent 'cos there isn't that much going on. I dunno.
Yih yeah and that's why I'm I'm trying to say that I'm sure that Amanda Vanstone would be listening to this because she is a professional and she's in the government and she's intelligent so I'm hoping that she's gunna take on board what's been said tonight and do something about it. And I mean I'm uh also I I I do agree in mandatory detention. Um I think that to let um a refugee straight out into the community would be incredibly distressing to their psychological makeup and I'm also a mother so it distresses me that people would wanna take children away from the families. I mean I'm I know that uh the situation might not be the best but if you're a four year old child who says who's been told that hey it's a better situation in this little sponsor family over here you just wouldn't be able to comprehend it so I mean it's a little bit naive just to say children shouldn't be in the mandatory detention it would just.
That's interesting I wonder what the um  no I hadn't really thought of it like that before yeah that separating kids from their families I wonder if people pushing for the release of the children have any kinda plan around that or maybe they've they're sort of mm  pushing for some kind of something different that I I'm just not I don't know about 'n'  d'love to hear from someone if uh if that's their take on it definitely.
I mean that's why I'm kinda thinking that if they were thinking of self-sufficiency I mean having their own garden and having. I'm sure there's like um carpenters within the mandatory detention who can show the kids how to build things and to show them that hey we're in this place but the adults can get by and you can get by and let's all have a good time I mean uh I'd love to see some instruments go in there 'n' like so at night time the kids can learn and watch the people around them enjoying things I mean there's no joy there's just a lotta sorrow it just seems.
Mm. I think there's a uh I can't speak for all the detention centres but I  know for a fact at least at Villawood there's there's now like a kids' playroom 'n' 'n' that sorta thing. 'Cos I was a little bit involved with that but um  but I think a lotta the the stuff the uh that that goes in does come from from volunteers . But then I suppose there are strict requirements 'n' 'n' rules around what you can actually take in 'n' y'know uh uh you'd have to think about things that can actually cause harm or 'cos I mean there's there'd be  y you huh I guess you'd have to think about y'know y m uh like you said with the shovel . Something like that could be  used y'know to to harm to self  harm that kinda thing.
So I mean if the government was to come forward and say hey everybody you're all got  some good ideas. This is this is a guideline  then bring it on in. I dunno. Just good B  R  they're not doing good P R .
I'd have to agree .
You're doing a good job Gaby and  good luck to Australia there's hope for us all .
Cheers Leah you have a good night alright.
Okay bye.
Bye. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six tonight we'll talk to Grant in Whyalla now hello Grant.
G'day how you going Gaby.
Hm I'm well how are you.
I'm uh I'm well and I'm  I've been s tearing this issue over in my mind trying to think well look is there any way that we can be equitable to all parties here and for everyone to just find the process not a problem. And there isn't. And and the and here's sort of m I perceive why and I perhaps mightn't be so popular for this but but uh here we here we go. The whole reason that that refugees would find Australia attractive is because Australia is quite a well to do organised well managed place. We have despite the fact we moan about it incessantly and as people and we do our government's actually pretty good by world standards and and the facilities we've provided here are very good and we're fairly affluent and there's lots of free space. There's good reasons to be in Australia. But they exist because they're policed. And that's  underpins it all. If if Australia wasn't a well-managed well-policed place it wouldn't be desirable for refugees. And so I think that those in detention while it is a very stressful time and I I couldn't begin to imagine what they go through on an individual basis need to take a bit of heart in that well it's reassuring that we're here because it shows these people don't just let anybody in and that we actually have a mechanism that we have to go through to ensure that those that come to live 'n' and stay in Australia deserve to be here and and I think that's that's very important. Um two years is is an excessively long time but let's look at the issues they contend with it isn't just people infiltrating Australian security and posing a risk to the nation. As someone said before it's disease. How long do symptoms take. What disease are we talking about they're uh they're all they're they're th it's a it's a big conundrum. Um it it needs to be this way it probably doesn't need to be that that that uh immigrants are jailed. I do disagree with the conditions. I think  the farm idea would be much better. But perhaps that's where the process needs to be refined. The actual mandatory detention is not the enemy here . Ih it's it's actually an instrument of justice. And it needs to be considered such. Otherwise its purs purpose is lost. Um we need to we need to be equitable to the people who have already gone through the proper channels and have taken up residency in Australia people who were born here people who have been refugees and have had status granted uh too. Ih it's it's not wise to open the sluice gates and just let people in willy nilly. That's that's not a good approach there's no way to know as well that those people y'know there's no way to document them in that sense no way to see that when they become Australian citizens that they're really making use of the facilities they provide no no way to know that they're actually uh getting on and prospering no way to access no way to access programs that are put in to help people who are integrating into a society. All of those ih ih it's just a it's a part of the process that's a bit of a necessary evil. And it needs to be considered such. Um as well though uh one one of one caller who I really liked earlier because he he ps he was a thinker um sort of said that some of the issues we need to be concerned about we're not 'n' some of issues we're concerned about we shouldn't be  um I I support that position too to a to an extent. Um he was saying though how it was ludicrous to consider that that uh that people who posed a threat to uh security of the nation would would come in in leaky boats well I would've thought it was ludicrous to strap C four to one's body and walk into a public place in the name of uh appeasing Allah but but sometimes from the countries that these people come from that's done and that's fairly extreme and he also said that uh the intelligence services of the world y'know didn't cuh thought it too impossible to consider that someone would steal a plane and crash it. I think what we're seeing here is it's it's not for us to be a barometer of oh well this could happen it's to prepare for all possible circumstances. Um because people who are crazy enough to strap explosives to their body 'n' and go and kill illis innocent people will certainly sit nine months out on a leaky boat. And and that's a problem . So ih ih well what do you do when when uh when you're trying to filter out people who are so committed to their cause that they're prepared to go to such lengths. It's it makes it very difficult. Um I don't think it's right that we that we uh are unnecessarily suspicious of people I don't think it should be that way at all . And we shouldn't lock people up I I totally agree with that but there needs to still be a clear-cut mechanism of assessing a person's status so as we can maintain the Australia that we live in and and I sort of see that while the detention centres themselves perhaps need a reworking the process otherwise is is fairly right. And uh I sort of praise our government because they've had a difficult chore of maintaining all our domestic issues and and sort of bringing this to to some form of human human acceptability which they've they've done these people are fed they are clothed they are watered they've received medical attention. They come from terrible places where they've been shot at and hung and I would be happy to be fed and sit and wait for my status to be assessed in a safe country coming away from those things. And and I know that ih ih probably not all people would respond that way but some people y'know when you incarcerate them um that you do institutionalise people y'know and that does that does psychologically change the way they are and so I think that that the detention centres themselves need to be more user-friendly if you like . But but by the same token um ih these people are already doing so much better than they have been. Uh  are we being a little bit unfair to to our own people um by by insisting that mandary  detention is just a ridiculous idea and it should be done away with. Um the one of the things I also luh y'know think that it's it necessary to be careful of here is we've I heard it said tonight that Mr Howard whether you support the Liberal government's standing or not um is is a great politician and that's not necessarily good thing but people who also are a little bit evangelistic about about the rights and liberties being abused of of refugees are equally masters of spin okay and.
It comes from both sides.
Yeah exactly it's  it's thunderstorm in a teacup stuff to an extent y'know and um  y'know I'd I just sort of would would urge listeners not to side either way but to really consider what is involved y'know if you had come from a war torn battered country would you be happy to be fed 'n' wait out X time even a couple of years if it meant that afterwards you would be a free person free from persecution and able to start a new life over again in in a m in a hospitable nation that that makes it possible to do so. Um I've never heard the Liberal government accuse these people of being criminals um that was ventured a little while ago. I've never ever heard that. Um I think it would be political suicide for them to do it they're smarter than that so uh w we need to just.
People might argue that they they perhaps treat them in that manner though I think that's  where that.
Th the way  they get tr treated with with being incarcerated is a problem right that that is the Achilles heel of the process . It really is. That is the problem from what I perceive right that is where people need to focus on it. Um we need to give our government feedback the kind of detention that we use isn't isn't appropriate okay. But the the overall mechanism is is very much a good thing and and wouldn't serve these people well if it didn't exist . As much as as much as the rest of the nation. Um the the their diets are catered for any unique y'know religious um opinions that they may have any any beliefs that regard food that's all catered for um. That's that's good stuff y'know uh ih it's pretty much embracing allowing them to be uh their own people and because Australia is a multicultural nation. Um and so much of Australian society is already quite uh different from the Anglo-Saxon society it was about two-hundred years ago when we moved here  y'know it it's already changed so much that it does cater well for those people anyway  y'know because of it. Um I I can I'm probably going to be flamed but  . But I I'm I'm quite happy with it I think that there's room for improvement and there always is but at the end of day um it's it's the way it needs to be  to truly service everybody equitably and um you yeah it's  it's sticky it's a sticky mess.  I don't envy the  the politicians whose job it is to actually sort this out and make it policy because ih  it's it's not easy.
It is devuh difficult definitely. Be interesting to see um if if uh people have any response to what you've said 'cos you've raised some very interesting points there.
One other thing just to leave you with  I heard that I forget the lady's name but you played a recording that you'd spoken with uh y'know a little earlier just before.
Ah yes Ruth.
Yeah yep. One of the things she said is that we led to wuh y'know believe that these people've well these people're led to believe they've done something wrong. No. They are entitled to approach Australia approach for refugee status. Right. That does not mean they're entitled to walk in and that lady sort of the way she phrased it was very clever and she made it appear that that's the case. That is not  okay. So their rights have been upheld. They have been put in mandatory detention while their application is assessed our United Nations contractual obligation has been met. And and Australia's very good at meeting its contractual obligations to the U N I might add.
Mhm.
Thank you very much Gaby.
No problem Grant . Thank you for calling.
See you later.
See ya bye. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six give us a call let's talk to Laurence who's been waiting patiently in Canberra hello Laurence.
Hi.
Hi what would you like to say tonight.
Um I think it's like um just really strange how  like I think it's forty-three percent of Australia is from origins of different countries.
Mhm.
And then when these people come we just refuse them  and why can't like who are these um like tention  camps run by. Like shouldn't they be run by like the Red Cross or Salvation Army.
Oh okay um.
Instead of people with guns.
Yeah I think they're they're privately they're privately run in conjunction with the government as far as I'm aware. Um so you you you'd say that they should be run by humanitarian groups or something.
Yeah.
Okay why's that.
Um its just because they have a call to fulfil and they wanna fulfil that um they should be able to help these people and  I think it's just that  um humanitarian these people have been trained in dealing with people of this origin of people coming from different countries different countries and different beliefs so they've been training this so it would just be a wise decision to put them in charge of these um detention centres.
Oh okay. That's interesting 'cos it mm someone was saying I can't remember who now  someone was saying before how the um the guards aren't trained for  for for this kinda thing and you're saying that y'know mm humanitarian groups are better would be better able to to deal with this uh with uh with refugees because they're they're trained in that area.
Yeah and  another thing is like I'm a teenager so basically I'm just a media junkie. I watch a lot of T V and it's just just really strange how much this is just like put below deck like . On news 'n' everything it's always like the last story or something. And you got like main headline stories on like Channel Ten about um like art galleries 'n' overseas but then you got like lih you got like really big issues like proper issues and they've put last for a segment of about one minute.
Oh okay.
So I think it's.
The priorities are wrong.
We need to just um  kind of like really show Australia what's going on and I stand for neither side because  um  I don't know like the real facts of it so I can't really make up my decision . And I think most Australia's in that state at the moment they don't know what's really happening there. So to make a proper decision we need to know what's really happening in the detention centres.
So there's a lack of information.
Yeah a big lack of information.
If you had the information would you have you have strong feeling about it.
Um if I had the information  um well I'd probuh I'm right now I'm not against it but I think um the conditions could be better . And like the guy said um one of the callers before he said that um they there's why don't we like build a shire or something and there's heaps of empty like campsites 'cos I used to be in scouts . And we went to camps and all that . And  there's like cabins and it's in like forests 'n' all that why can't they go there inst  instead of like a prison like building.
Yeah yeah oh a couple of couple of people have mentioned something like that tonight too I think yeah it's an interesting idea definitely. Um 'n' you'd like to see that would you yeah.
Yeah.
Oh okay then. Alright Laurence well thanks for your call that's .
Oh thanks for your time Gaby.
Good to hear from you see you later.
Goodbye.
Bye. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six. Britney was saying before too that her um her friends are apathetic and uh Laurence was just saying y'know if he had the information he could um perhaps make up his mind a little a little clearer. A few people have actually mentioned a lack of information tonight. Mm interesting alright let's move on uh talk to Ted in Traralgon who's been very patient hello Ted.
Yeah I thought I'd rung Centrelink for a while.
uh uh  I think the old on hold music is better  I hope .
Oh definitely.
What would you like to say tonight Ted.
Um just a f few early comments your earlier callers have made  um with the letting the children go I'd thought of that does that mean they're separating from their parents . 'Cos we've just had a really major problem with the stolen generation are we gunna have a big problem in the future with the  borrowed generation.
Yeah I dunno um I to be honest I dunno much about that. I'd love to hear from someone who who's  across that .
I can't see how that how that can work um.
Yeah I think it would be a separation  as far as I know.
Uh wh when I I've also thought that with the government excising the um oh at Christmas Island that's an immigration zone  and the islands does that mean those people aren't entitled to commonwealth benefits that live on those islands now. 'Cos they've decided they're not part of Australia.
Uh gawd . No idea  you'll well you will have to ring Centrelink for that one .
Oh God God no not that please not that.
No.
Um but yeah  oh with the Tampa crisis when that came up they they were calling the people queuejumpers.
Yeah.
Um there's no queues in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Ah okay.
That's what sort of uh concerned me then I thought how can you jump a queue when there isn't one there.
Mhm.
That  sort of got to me a bit anyway.
Okay.
But and one of the other caller mentioned um he was an indigenous Australian . Yeah um so am I my skin's white though but I was born in Australia. That makes me just as indigesn indigenous as him.
Ah we have the the the indigenous quibble.
Yeah but that's  just me anyway.
The no the the the.
But ih ih it's my country too.
Mm. Okay yeah no  I un totally understand that yeah.
Yeah but I was thinking maybe if all the callers y'know wrote to their local politicians we might get something start to get something done instead of just ringing a radio station.
Mm.
And all write to Mrs Vanstone.
Yeah if everybody sort of um y'know put their put their thoughts onto paper.
Yeah apathy seems to be a growing sport.
Never underveh underestimate the power of the word I reckon.
True but you've gotta send it to them.
Yeah absolutely . Definitely . Alright Ted.
But anyway.
Ih anything else or.
Uh yeah I was just thinking of people they get here they the I've scribbled a few notes down on a bit of paper um they come from a p an oppressive country like Iraq or Afghanistan . They get here we lock 'em in a prison they must maybe go wake up and think same shit different place.
Yeah .
Anyway.
Yeah no I uh uh ss.
But yeah we all need to get off our butts 'n' get in touch with politicians 'n'. Like  if a politician if Amanda Vanstone gets two-thousand letters from the people that were at the protest she might think mm pyuh better do something here.
better pay a little bit of attention.
Yeah so.
Mm mm alright Ted wuh.
It's the only way it'll change.
Thank thank you for your call and thanks for being so patient.
Yeah no worries.
Okay . Talk to you again bye. One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six interesting what Ted was just saying about queues. I thought I'd just play you uh a little bit of um I'd I'd spoke to um to this woman Ruth uh Ruth Radcliffe uh who's who's one of the organisers of World Refugee Day today and I've been playing a little bit throughout the show of what she said. I wasn't gunna play any more because I thought we had we'd heard enough but uh but just what Ted was saying about queuejumpers I thought it might be interesting to uh hear what she had to say about that.
I thought that was far too topical not to play tonight the band is called The Invisible Hand 'n' that's called Go Home Refugees just a little tune that I turned up in the Triple J music library tonight before the show started.
World Refugees Day . Those uh those uh web addresses again Department of Immigration is dub dub dub dot I double M I dot gov dot A U or you can check out um the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at dub dub dub dot U N H C R dot C H. There's an Australian version of that too you can google it. I'll put those addresses up at the end just a couple of things you might wanna look at to uh further the debate we're almost outta time Fenella Kernebone's coming up real soon in the Sound Lab heaps and heaps of new music this week Wagon Christ um uh the Helsinki Duo as well the sound of a baby grand piano on fire. I'm intrigued. also a taste of Fenella's interview with Mum  a wonderful Icelandic outfit that's coming up in about ten minutes time. Let's see if we can race through a few final calls though before we get outta here uh let me see who we have Britney another Britney not the Britney we spoke to before but Britney from Brisbane hello.
Hi.
Hi what would you like to say tonight.
Um ultimately what I'm all about and what I wanna argue is that mandatory detention is against international covenants on human rights that Australia has signed and agreed to expound principally in society. One of the previous callers argued that these p um people's rights have been upheld and they have not um Australia has not upheld its contractual oblication  to the United Nations. Um article nine of the international declaration of human rights actually says that no-one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest detention or exile . Um ultimately the migration act section one-hundred-and-seventy-eight um does not uphold this contractual obligation. Um ultimately it says that these sorta people will be um kept in immigration detention. Um so basically what I'm here tonight to say is that um this law this section in particular needs to be looked at because um this is against human rights um we're not upholding the rule of law we're not giving these people a fair chance. Um mandatory detention has doesn't have to take as long as it does here in Australia.
Yeah because I think it takes a lot longer here than than most other places in the world.
It does. Um and someone said before also that um m um that it takes longer because uh they give false information. Often it's because the countries that they come from will not um participate and help with the actual um gaining of status by  providing Australia with information and that's also um adds to the time that it takes for them to be processed.
Okay so  that that just makes it uh a longer process.
Yeah exactly and  like  I really think and I really disagree that these people shouldn't be shouldn't have to be held in these sort of places for years on end when they have no real idea where they're going what's happening. They're sometimes they're denied legal access they're um y'know two phones for two-hundred people in immigration duh um centres it's just not fair it's just not it's just not right.
Mhm mhm you're obviously very passionate about it.
Oh definitely  um I think that if nothing's done here human rights will continue to be violated lives will be at stake and the integrity of the Australian signature on international covenants will continually will continue to be questioned all because it's supposedly in the best interest of Australia.
What would you like to see happen Britney.
Um I'm not really sure what suggestions I can put forward. I know I don't have all the answers but there has to be another way . I'm not suggesting that security checks should not be done and that we should let these people in willy nilly as someone said before but um I really do think that there's other ways  and in particular like a few people have suggested y'know sending them to farms or y'know home stay there are other ways and these are options that our government needs to explore look at ok  um options that overseas other western countries have taken. Um compared to other places we har we get hardly any refu um asylum seekers  come to our shores . And so I think that where it's a bigger problem and these people have dealt with it without having to enforce mandatory detention so I really think that looking at overseas policies would be an idea.
Mm with less space too I might add.
Oh exactly.
It's interesting isn't it. Alright then uh Britney thanks very much for your call.
No worries thanks very much.
Okay bye . Let's talk to Jesse in Brisbane hi Jesse.
How are you Gaby.
Good thank you yourself.
Oh yeah not too bad.
What would you like to say.
Um I'm just I think that uh people are are looking at uh a picture made up of a single ingredient there're a lot of uh different variables that go into um this equation more more so a uh a moral standing point that people would like to argue but the fact of the matter is that it's not a moral argument and this what I am about to say  will probably tread on a lot of toes but it actually goes out to Grant because he's a very smart man and he said what a lot of people should be thinking but are very afraid to say obviously. It's not a um it's not a legal standing point that people would like to argue they say that um the the human rights of refugees are being violated but that's a that's a moral standing point that they're looking at. That's human rights as a person what would you do to another person do unto others as you would have them do to you but  they have entered the country illegally. It is no longer a moral argument it is a legal argument. People have to do what is right by the laws of the government that they fall under. We're only following Australian il following Australian laws fair enough that the U N has sanctioned that we must uphold human rights. But is that if is that only if the person has entered the country legally. I mean do they have a legal standing point if they enter the country the way they do . I think that that um that issue needs to be addressed more and um people need to stop focusing on what they're told by the meedh with like  people don't identify um variable mediums either th you need to um  you need to put the networks into their own class you've got Channel Seven you've got A B C you've got Channel Ten and then then you've got Channel Nine. Now Channel Nine is the Liberal government as everybody knows. But the a see trust the A B C to uh to bring up a controversial argument like this and let people actually say what they want to say . It's um it's very good I think I think it needed to be done. But um it's it's just a lot of um as as a um an earlier listener said before it's just a lot of media outsourcing. People hear something on the news 'n' they hear something completely different on another n on a uh another news update or or in the papers or anything and they'll believe it . It's it's gotten to a point where information is that outsourced and that widely outsourced now that people don't know what to believe. You need to get back to the basics in life and find the facts out for yourself before you start making up your own mind. You need to decide what's relevant to you and relevant to your own circumstances and then make up your own opinion. When uh when I say that though it's um it's hard to find and hard to come by the uh the relevant facts when you've got so much outsourcing but the uh that gentleman from um from the A C T said that our our country is made up by multicultural diversity but you look at possibly look at the generations that these foreigners have come into Australia which probably would have been about the same time as the baby boomers. See these people have come in just after the war when multiculturalism was an oh I dunno wuh I suppose was an acceptable entity. You've got all these people and theh the fact of the matter was that they were only allowed into the country w if they had a trade.
Mm.
So we've only let people in that who were who were foreigners that are of any use to us anyway. So it's not as if they got a free ride back then or anything like that. They were let into the country because they were of some use to us it's not as if they were let in willy nilly back in the day. The only reason why they came in is because they had a trade . So if ih I'm not saying that um that foreigners who have a trade should should only be allowed in but I think that um a as it's said ih two years is a is a very painful length of time to be screened  for your um for your legal purposes but there there are a lot of variables that come into it like health and and um and toh possible um the possibility of of being a terrorist suspect. Things like that there's a lot of um a lot of arguments that come into it that people need to look at before they start saying that um that John Howard's doing this or that Mark Latham isn't doing that . It's um it's not ih it's not that case at all.
Yeah alright we're almost out of time Jesse um but thanks very much for your call.
No worries.
We won't have time for a response to your call but um but thank you very much.
No worries.
Okay see ya.
Thanks for that.
Uh let's see if we can just squeeze in one more person uh Kieran in Ballarat just just pick one thing and uh and 'cos you're the last caller.
Um okay yeah thanks for that Gaby.
That's alright.
Um and now that last caller I was just gunna say the thing about what you say uh I don't think you should really look at people as if n n they're tools that can be used for you but anyway I think it comes down to that like in this country we have uh like we're just lucky to be born here basically we're lucky to be and it's just by chance that you end up here Australia isn't uh Australia needs to like ignore their like uh commercial news outlets that don't show you what happens in the rest of the world but you need to look out and you need to like maybe meet some of the people who've been in these situations. And we can't comprehend what kind of hell they've been through. And then we bring 'em here 'n' we put 'em in jail. 'N' make it worse. And so I think it just comes down to looking at yourself and going well am I glad that I'm in this country do I know how good it .
And speaking of welcomes and people we love Ramona Koval welcome back.
Thank you Sandy it's lovely to be back with you and y you're right it's a great warm hearted book full of luck and fate and  fish and gambling  'n' Anzacs and if you'd like to have your say in the program you can join  our um online discussion at A B C dot net dot A U slash R N and follow the links to Australia Talks Books or phone us I'd like you to phone us I wanna talk to you it's been a while  on one-eight-hundred-eight-oh-two-three-four-one  one-eight-hundred-eight-oh-two-three-four-one  and also joining us for the second time Australia Talks Books Tim Winton from Perth Tim welcome.
Thanks  nice nice to be here.
Yeah nice to have you  back again.
Wherever I am.
Yes disembodied voice out there in the universe. Nice to have you back with us Tim.
Ah thanks Sandy.
Well let's start with a reading an and um I'm I'm gunna r I'm gunna be the one who reads this bit and it's gunna be such a pleasure  because just  just have a listen to how this beautiful big book starts.
What a knockout beginning that is.
Isn't it amazing.
And and Tim I I reread your book this week but before I did I tried to remember  what I could about reading Cloudstreet the first time. And what I recalled was the house that breathed in and out as if it were alive  and about the warmth of the families who shared it and about the celebration of a very Australian way of life  and I bet I'm not alone in that  and I wondered is that what you thought you were gunna do as you y'know got into Cloudstreet got into the house began to write it.
Well s first thank you but um no I didn't know what I was doing  I was honestly just finding my way day to day uh over the years that I was that I was working on it and um I suppose in retrospect um enjoying myself enough not to worry.  I I didn't yeah I didn't have a plan.
Tim what's it like revisiting a novel that you wrote over a decade ago.
Well it's a little uh bizarre I mean I haven't reread it um  un unlike you two I haven't done my homework  so uh I'm sure I'm gunna be caught out in in in in uh ih in any question uh.
There will be a test you know .
I won't pass the verb the the oral I just know it. Um but it's it's very odd um it's really I guess the only equivalent wuh would be be y'know an old photo album of y'know how you looked at school 'n' your daggy haircut 'n' the girlfriend who y'know only spoke to you for nine minutes of your entire life y'know it's a  it's such a long time ago. I mean I wrote this book in the nineteen-eighties. And I had a I had a y'know a toddler uh who's now  twenty years old  so it's it's y'know and and he has brothers and sisters so  so it's a y'know it's a very long time ago and it's it's almost as though  it was written by somebody else but I have to say y'know hearing Ramona uh r read it uh I there was a flicker of recognition  .
It's got your name on the cover though  so it must be yours. Tim tell me about the creation of the house at Cloud Street it's a kind of house that we're instantly comfortable in it's big and rambling and all kinds of possibilities are there I think you said  it's a big sagging joint. Ih is it totally a house of your imagination was there ever a house like that for you.
No the the uh there was there was never a place um and y'know the the more I say it the the the less effect that seems to have I think people y'know seem to uh trawl about um trying to locate the exact uh house and I've had lots of mail to that effect over the years. Um someone actually gave up and just named a block of flats Cloudstreet in a in a in the neighbourhood uh just to just to stump everybody I think. Um no I I just h had I mean once I realised I had these two families on the go and um  I I I just thought about about how wuh h y'know would be interesting to put them together and I I needed a house so I had to make up a house. Uh and it was that's all it was I mean. The neighbourhoods are yeah the neighbourhoods that my grandparents and my parents um grew up in um between the wars and after the war. And uh that was that was all I was going on really a kind of a  a milieu and and some family mythology.
Yes es it made me start thinking about all of the great  houses that have touched me in literature and a a couple in particular I think are Georges Perec's Life a User's Manual and  and my favourite the wonderful bizarre architecture of the house in Crowley's book Little Big. Uh are there others that come to your mind Ramona when you think about houses in books.
Look of course Jane Eyre  you know that sort of gothic scary house with the  with the first wife um in the in the uh the top what's it called the top the um attic the attic   and uh My Mother's House a a a book by Colette that I I really loved when I was a kid. I mean it certainly Tim gives you a big theatre to work in doesn't it it's sort of like having a lot of different stage sets.
Yeah and I and I needed a big one 'cos there was a few of them. Um and and and and th later in the process I realised there was more to come in terms of um  y'know strangers and blow throughs and and whatever it's it's um.
And you had to have a shop at the front too.
Yes.
Yeah well  I had to have a shop at the front partly because the y'know the m so much family mythology revolved around my  my uh father's parents um suburban shop and um.
Wuh what did it sell.
Oh they just had a t y'know everything really. Um but it was m yeah mostly a sort of small goods kind of uh neighbourhood shop um .
Homemade ice-cream.
Yes yeah hih my my uh grandfather was a was a pretty accomplished um cook pastry cook and uh he he did a he did a mean ice-cream and uh yeah they were a kind of uh very sort of notable couple um in the in the y'know in the in the neighbourhood b uh between the first world war and and Vietnam I suppose so uh. And ih interesting talking about houses I mean when I was writing this book  I began it in a in Australia and then I I I left for the first time and  lived in in Paris and in uh in Ireland and in Greece and particularly when I was in Ireland I really did literally understand that houses had their own personalities and and their own lives and  yeah they just had to be standing long enough to um  to take on. Yeah and and y'know in the culture that I came from the suburban Australian  y'know  anything older than thirty years  particularly in in Perth y'know usually gets the bulldozer y'know. So um and I and I was also writing at a time when Perth was being n knocked over in the  sort of glut 'n' orgy of the eighties.
You mentioned Ireland and and that of co that m ma m makes me think about language and makes me think about  y'know wonderful kinds of language and you actually invent some really lovely Australian words at least I think you do invent them otherwise I've led a very sheltered life  in Melbourne. All these years  like water blur for tears and water lap and prawn kick describing the movements of a river uh are they fishing terms or did you make them.
No no they were just making it up I mean I was I was homesick and I was in in an Irish winter and I was in a tiny little cottage out in the middle of the bogs  um I w I was just I was just y'know m making it up I had a I had a an old um dictionary of of uh Australian vernacular but uh it just felt like there wasn't en enough in it to satisfy my great longing so I just made made words up.
Oh they're w they're great words and it it's almost like the Germans do y'know where they combine  different things and stick them all together.
Compounds yeah.
Compound words which are really very efficient. As you'd expect.
But they do they do irritate the reviewers of the T L S though . S they get a sort of brogue wearing tweedy sort of chap  um y'know from Merton College or whatever who who just y'know just cannot cope with the fact that you've made words up it's all y'know it's morally wrong.
Yes we t.
Well they probably had trouble with Joyce didn't they  as well.
Yeah that was that's probably a different story.
We're talking  with Tim Winton the book is Cloudstreet this is Australia Talks Back on Radio National in just a moment we'll come to your calls and by the way there is still one spare line if you're very fast one-eight-hundred  eight-oh-two-three-four-one  talking about the Australianness just before we go to the calls Tim  I think it was uh Joseph Olshan in the New York Times book review who who  though loving Cloudstreet observed that the structure of the novel was and I'm quoting . How did the Australianness of Cloudstreet travel in translation because the book's been translated widely.
Uh ve very s surprisingly um it it's probably the book that's y'know been  ah the m y'know the the widest travelled uh uh of of my work I mean it must be a nightmare to to translate. It's only now uh just being translated into French quite y'know quite late in the  piece when all my other books are have already been translated into French  uh p people seem to take it on in the same way that um y'know there I was a boy in in Perth in the seventies reading Faulkner I mean  talk about impenetrable and y'know d deliberately uh opaque um I think if you can read Faulkner or if you can read at least a bit of Joyce then um the y'know there's hope for a book like Cloudstreet.
Yes let's go to  some calls.
I was just gunna can we  can I just ask one little little question.
Yeah go on.
What about things like carn and y'know sh y'know some of those Australian words um like .
If they sound like  they sound like other people's English though y'know people people kind of know what  y'know if you say carn it'll out loud uh in in the  context of a sentence.
You'd have to kinda  whine it though wouldn't you.
Yeah well I I did a few whiny readings in my in my  years touring the book.
Anyway let's get some calls Sandy sorry to interrupt.
Bangalow New South Wales first stop and Catherine hello Catherine.
Oh hello um Tim  I'm actually a teacher of the n uh the novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it reading it  but it's incredibly complex when  we actually try to explore different dimensions of it  from listening to you you may not have had any of those intentions and I'd like you to elaborate on that a little bit but my question is with regard to  the spiritual aspects of of the text which    there's a lot been ri written about it and I'm wondering if it's only on reflection that you're aware  of all of those um aspects to it or were they intentional  and do you think that you were talking about  an aspect of spiritualism that existed in that era that is lacking today or  would you like to comment on that.
That's it's such a it's such a big one uh. I'm I'm not sure that um y'know au Australia was a m a more spiritual place in the year of the um of the novel um from the forties to the sixties I mean I don't think Australia has every been a particularly  spiritual place under our current um um ah incarnation I mean obviously I think the interesting thing about Australia is it's y'know probably the the most irreligious culture implanted upon perhaps the most spiritual continent um on the globe and it's it's interesting and people like Patrick White y'know  who tr n trundled down that trail a long time before me were  were writing about the strange anomalies between y'know this  mm brooding ah rich  spiritual landscape and and a culture that was es essentially about shopping and conforming. Um I suspect y'know we're probably we're probably exploring it a little more now than we than we were then. Um as to what I was trying to say in the book I'm look I'm really not sure I think ih a lot of it was accidental I mean I'm  I'm not a completely unconscious writer but um the people in the in the books say the kinds of things that that ih that the characters I had imagined said and I wuh y'know they were just saying the things that humans say. Um some of those people are spiritual and  others are y'know  purely purely material purely for the y'know for the moment.
Catherine thank you very much indeed for calling us Catherine from Bangalow in New South Wales.
And now Suzanne is with us too um from Balmaring in Victoria hi Suzanne.
Hello Ramona. Uh ih it's interesting to hear a spiritual  quality mentioned because I've found it very I've found Cloudstreet and uh Dirt Music and other books of Tim's very earthy  very Australian uh and you've now two of you have mentioned  a quality in his writing that I find  and that is e especially in the early part  it is James Joycean. I I felt this is like Ulysses it's flowing the it was just a continuous flow  and I found that uh really interesting th were you aware of that Tim.
Um n no to be honest I mean I I was aware that it was flowing and I was enjoying that but I've never actually read uh I've never read Ulysses  and I've certainly never read Finnegan's Wake. I mean I've I've ha I've had a a look and thought oh my god this is y'know too hard for me . And I love the short short stories um but I I  y'know ih after the short stories Joyce sort of lost my interest the sound of it and the music's good but um uh ih it's probably like y'know for me like opera y'know you're you're quite happy for it to go on as long as the doors are open somewhere . And you can  you can you can make a quick escape. Um.
It's very Australian. You're you're writing uh can only be rij written by an Australian.
Yes.
Well y'know wuh puh well puh perhaps so but ih honestly my my influences um were much more American than I  suspect people realise I mean I I I really was a  I really adored Faulkner and and and I guess that's a y'know it's an American Joyce I suppose. Um  just that y'know at least in Faulkner at least f three out of five pages you know what's going on roughly  you you're sort of in the ball park at least.
Yes. Suzanne thank you  so much for calling that's Suzanne.
Thank you.
And Tim you've got a lot of water in the book so maybe that accounts for the flowing quality. M y'know you like to spend time on the water.
Your cuh yeah I I think I just yeah the setting coulda done the job for me. Um but I I think it was y'know I was trying to write um as I had been trying to write for the y'know the ten years buh before that when I was publishing all the other novels and stories I was trying to to write more and more and more the way  I spoke and the people that I grew up with spoke and the people that I knew spoke and um I particularly remember  ih y'know when I was in school th those novels that we did get to read  were tended to be even the Australian novels tended to feature a very very British diction um  where you knew damn well that the person who wrote this book if you met them in the street they would speak much more like you than like their book. And there's nothing wrong with  you know w with y'know changing your diction and projecting uh as a writer but for me personally in terms of where I came from and  and what I felt close to and inspired by were  writers who who whose l language was uh uh y'know even in a confected way which you have to as a as a writer you have to you have to y'know manufacture something but whose writing sounded like their their speech and the speech of  of ordinary people um at least in other kinds of people in the book.
Yes we're talking about Cloudstreet we're talking with Tim Winton Ramona Koval Sandy McCutcheon and you and the you in this case is Linda in Sydney hello Linda.
Hi Sandy and hi Ramona and hi Tim. Uh Sandy when you told us recently that Cloudstreet had been voted the most popular Australian book I knew I had to read it  and so I've only just finished it.
Oh very first time.
Yes.
Oh well done  yes.
And I found it a very special book and in fact I found many themes running through it  and I'd just like to comment on one of them and then ask Tim a question  if I may. Um well I found the theme of the search for an authentic Australian spirituality through it  and uh many of the characters  kept saying uh I wish I had something to believe in  and um I could see at least three different ways that this longing was expressed firstly there's Sam Pickles who believed in luck and uh amusingly his sense of security came in accepting bad luck as the norm for his life and then secondly throughout the book there are traces of a decaying Christian religious faith  uh Lester Lamb says grace at meals uh though quickly and uncomfortably  and his wife Oriel reads her bible though she wonders if it makes any difference to what happens to her and there are the amusing descriptions of the church weddings where the bridal couple and families are very out of place  and then many quotations from the bible amusingly applied to nonreligious activities. And now the third expression of this search for an authentic spiritua ality is a more mystical and dreamlike  even pantheistic. Um and it's expressed in many ways the unnatural glow on the face of Quick Lamb and his brother Fish. Um Quick's visions of water in the middle of a wheat field and thinking he's seeing his brother Fish riding across the field in a boat  made from an oranges box  and most strikingly and I won't give away too much of the story but the voice from the sea that responds to Fish's twenty year longing and tells him he'll soon be a real man.
Yeah but Linda what's your question.
My question is Tim.
I mean you've  you've jus you've just passed the P H D standard.
I wanted to explain  Tim um where where I was coming from to give so you'll understand the question. So Tim in Cloudstreet were you saying that Australians are searching for an authentic spirituality something to embrace that is greater than themselves something to believe in.
Uh I suppose I suppose I was I mean I mean and thanks for your ah for your um your statement as much as your c question it saved me reading the book again  it was a real good refresher I mean a as to it's te it's terrific I remember a whole lot of  things in the book now. Um   I I think I don't think I was saying something I think I was probably just admitting something and it was it was a kind of um the people in the book are c in a sense you know thinking aloud and um  and I I th yeah I think um and it was at a an interesting time I think yeah in my in my grandparents' generation and the beginning of my parents' generation perhaps  um y'know the sort of the mm the the imported version of Christianity had had kind of uh  had withered and there was no  real engagement   with um with y'know with Aboriginal culture and spirituality  and the only thing that people could really believe in was the army. Um y'know the first A I A I F and the second A I F and uh of course  in recent  years that seems to have been a resurgent um religious belief in Australian politics.
Exactly.
Um y'know from um Kirribilli down but um.
So you think we're still searching for a auden authentic Australian spirituality.
Yeah I th I think we've I think we're trying to find something that that that works for us and I think  that's probably not any y'know pure tradition I I mean I I was y'know influenced by uh my Christian upbringing but um  I think the sort of important kind of yeah the sort of ang the sort of Anglicised version of Christianity that that we had sort of only applies up to  a very short point y'know to your long white socks so.  The other   that's going on.
Linda thank you  very much for that. Tim can I just bring ih something else that I mean struck me talking about the spiritual thread through it y you make some very strong statements about  self determination and humanity and the the quote that I that s I guess stuck with me from the very first reading and really grabbed me the second time too was  I mean this is a is is pretty strong stuff isn't it.
Yeah and it's obviously it's coming from uh y'know the the matriarch of the family y'know Oriel is a just a  a sh she I think I describe her somewhere in the book as like a y'know little boxy sergeant major  I mean she's the she's the person who  is the least passive the least content um person to  to just take what fate um sends her way. And in a in a sense she's almost trying to y'know she's trying  she's trying to th throw herself higher by her own bootlaces which y'know is a  is a y'know ex er.
Difficult task.
A dih yeah it's it's a task that has a sort of li lih has its limits but uh it's just I think it's just a the passion with which she refuses to to take uh things um uh it it was interesting to me and of course for me it was  it was born out of y'know having heard lots and lots of conversations y as a bored child in the sixties under the  the dining table um particularly at my grandparents' places. And that that that that was the other thing I was doing  um in terms of language just r y'know revisiting the sounds of all those voices those sort of  disembodied voices uh uh ab above the  the dining table while I just y'know looked at people's varicose veins and looked up  ladies' skirts y'know that's exactly.
Buh.
As one does yeah.
Bored child that y that  that y'know and that was the that was what I was capturing and obviously I was y'know I was overseas at the time and  a little bit of longing there as well. But I like .
Well if you're longing to to speak with Tim Winton about Cloudstreet which is the most popular book for two-thousand-and-three at the end of last year when we asked um you to tell us about what your favourite Australian novel was and you said Cloudstreet  give us a call on eighteen-hundred-eight-oh-two-three-four-one  eighteen-hundred-eight-oh-two-three-four-one I'm Ramona Koval and talking with Tim Winton and Sandy McCutcheon  and let's go um to Sydney again to Jennifer hi Jennifer.
Hi um  I'm currently studying year twelve at the moment and we've just started Cloudstreet and I was just wondering if I could ask a few quick questions.
Are you doing homework .
Are you writing an essay.
No.
We're not  writing your essay for you.
No um we just wrote an essay on why we thought Tim Winton should have won the prize last year so I've already done my essay. But I was wondering um Tim what was the purpose of including magic realism like why why did you include it.
I I didn't make a conscious decision ah uh uh about it I just uh  I just enjoyed it and a and it sort of just it came out of the story that I was telling and once I once I'd sort of stumbled into it I found that uh it it belonged in the story so there was n there was never any conscious um decision to  to step outside the bounds of uh y'know naturalism um because I y'know I'd been writing in that sort of s sort of odd kind of hybrid way for for a long time. W in a w  when I grew up the the books that were purely naturalistic seemed to lack something about life t uh to me and um and I think y'know once I read at least in Australia once I read Patrick White I understood that y'know that someone else felt like that too.
Thank you very much indeed that's uh Jennifer in uh Sydney and this in also in Sydney is Jane hello Jane.
Hi um this is actually quite interesting 'cos Jennifer's in my class and.
Oh.
Oh it's just she's kind of just stolen my theme of question but that's okay. Um I was actually wondering if you could talk a bit about Fish's character and the kind of involvement of his narration through the novel and in the sense that it's from about three different perspectives.
So Jane sit down  get your pencil out and I'll put you on hold so that uh that we can just let Tim go for it.  Thanks indeed for calling yeah.
I think I'd better get my pencil first. Um uh it took me two years to realise who was telling the story um of of Cloudstreet so I wasn't really aware I realised that that the kind of narrator that I had was a little informal um he 'n' 'n' he or she was a little bit all over the place. Ih m n and and so it was it was a delight to finally be put out of my misery um and I think I was in Ireland or France at the at the time to actually know who was telling the story it was a l great burden um off my shoulders and I felt like I knew y'know 'cos um y'know being the writer of a book is a little bit like being the reader y'know you're you're not you're not uh you're not in c n entirely in control and  and there are plenty of surprises for you but  ha having having Fish tell the the s the story in in in in effect in the time that it takes him to drown um y'know it was a is a pretty artificial kind of uh structure I suppose but um it was it was what I it was what I was stuck with once I felt him in in the water and telling the story I w I sort of wasn't gunna let go of it. It didn't seem like a good idea but it seemed like seemed like my idea  and I was gunna stick with it .
It certainly works.
And it it is interesting that Cloudstreet appears on nearly every year twelve reading list in the country though   but it is it it's odd y'know those no it's a great book come on Tim I know you're being modest we all love it though.
No no I'm not just being modest it's it's y'know it's hard and hard to read and it and you don't write books for to to be obstacles in in people's path y'know in order to get their piece of paper at the end of twelve years of school I mean  oh I mean I'm glad glad of the royalties obviously but uh y'know it's it's.
But the kind of questions that obviously teachers of English will ask like y'know what was tr writer trying to tell us here or  y'know was this book about redemption and Christianih I mean all these things are really weird for a writer to to listen to aren't they.
Yeah and also they ast they they they have a sort of assumption that you are um setting out to write a novel to tell people what sh y'know what's what  uh or what you think and in a way y'know for me writing uh a novel uh which is a sort of habitual act for me after all these years  it tends to be more about finding out what I th what I think rather than um what uh I think everyone else should hear.
But isn't it isn't it amazing Tim the the number of things that a reader will see in a book and patterns and connections  that never consciously really occur to the writer.
Yeah uh and it's kinda wonderful really you r you realise that um there are y'know I mean if there's a if there's this book Cloudstreet there are obviously a lot of Cloudstreets 'cos they're they are quite separate experiences for people y'know and there are obviously many things in common and  people have very divergent uh uh readings of it and uh I like that uh um if if if a book has enough room to  t t to let people  inhabit it and br 'n' breathe in it and bring something to it and um and I th I think it's it's been some kind of success.
Yeh theh you are interested in the way y'know families and those in them cope with tragedy an accident where a man loses his fingers or where a child is drowned and resuscitated and  isn't the same as before  and the trick is to keep living. I mean whe when you write . There's sort of the taste of living in that isn't there an an an admiration at wih with the adaptability of people.
Yeah I I think so I mean I I I I y'know I've I've had criticism over the years for y'know my kinda melodramatic streak there was lots of accidents in my in my books and um  m I I suppose it just comes from y'know having been a uh the son of a  policeman and and having been privy to and exposed to y'know a lot of a lot of accidents all all the violence in my life wasn't internal it wasn't in the family it was  it was it was uh around us in terms of what my father was  coping with ih ih in his job. Um and of course y'know I had a great uncle who lost his fingers in a  in a winch on a on a boat so um y'know you just you just use what you  what you know and what's in the air and y'know sometimes it's useful and sometimes it's not.
Well Reg at Saint Andrews I believe hasn't read this book and I'm not sure if we're gunna be very happy about but he he wants to make a point of nonetheless. Reg.
Yeah um first of all nice reading Ramona.
Thank you.
I haven't read no I haven't read the book y'know I I hear so much about it it's one of those things y'know you like a film  you hear everybody talking about it and you think oh God I'll pick that up one of these days but you don't. But what um what I wanted to ask.
Well good on you for holding out.
What is what I wanted to ask Tim  and uh reluctantly because talking to talking to writers sometimes you feel that  a lot of their ideas not ideas so much but a lot of things come from they know not where  I don't know whether this applies to Tim or not but what I what I was conscious of during that reading particularly during that reading I don't know about the rest of the book  was. And although I don't know Tim's book I know uh Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood very well  I couldn't help feeling that there's a a strong  sort of relationship uh between the the use ih in the way the uh words were being used  duh does is Tim conscious of this or or.
It's called good writing I think .
Yes indeed but   Tim feel about um Dylan Thomas himself.
Oh uh I've never read nuh Under Milk Wood I've heard I've heard uh bits of it um uh read uh on the radio or in the in in the classroom but I never actually st studied it or never  read it um from beginning to end but um y'know it's it's it's beautiful stuff and Tom y'know Thomas was a  y'know a almost as good a poet as he was a drinker.
Yes let's go to Jason in Brisbane hello Jason.
Hey hi there. Uh Tim I've got a question about tragedy it seems to be an underlying theme with a lot of your books. And.
Yeah sorry about that.
Uh no don't be sorry about it because I think my wife and I both love love your stuff. Um and you seem to write such beautifully tragic or tragically whatever way it goes around beautiful stories. Tragedy what is that a big sort of thing in your um like I w I don't wanna get too personal but where does this underlying theme come from. 'Cos  e every one of your books.
Uh well it's um I I I. It certainly doesn't come from personal experience it perhaps it comes from the sort of the  the the obverse y'know I mean I've I've led y'know a probably a charmed life and  it's either uh it's either guilt or anxiety that something   some of these kind of things are gunna be visited  upon me um  . Um buh uh y'know ih but I guess it goes to y'know having having seen a l a l a lot of tough things uh as a child and as an insomniac I mean in a in a house where your father comes home  tells your mother things about the day that you weren't supposed to hear um  but y'know you live in a few asbestos houses in your time and um y'know they're pretty thin walls . Uh and tha and also just just being awake. Y'know I mean it's very hard not to  it's it's very hard not to see how how tough and and tragic life  can be I mean unless you're y'know completely anaesthetised by y'know um   muzak and and television.
Can't sing the blues unless you've less you've actually lived I know that's  obv you've heard that before. Uh but you seem to write tragedy just so beautifully  uh maybe it's just a good mind I guess what what.
Jason we're gunna have to leave it there 'cos we've got a board full of calls and it's bursting but look thank you so much for that . Let's uh let's uh put uh him on hold and uh just remind you this is Cloudstreet we're talking and we're talking with Tim Winton and this is Australia Talks Books Ramona.
And now we're going to Bruthen in East Gippsland to say hello to Mick hi Mick.
Hi there.
Yes Mick.
Tell us what you think.
Oh well I love Cloudstreet um and I love the vernacular especially uh words like Catholick. That's spelt really well I think.
With a C K at the end.
Yeah excellent. Um look I had a more general question and that was where where is Tim heading um in terms of his writing. Um y'know I love the way he writes about landscapes and um I was wondering whether um there was any plans to maybe come over to the east coast and uh immerse himself in .
In the rest of Australia .
The East Gippsland uh landscape or perhaps uh north Queensland would be a good uh good one as well.
I've heard of all these places um  but um. Uh e I mean I um. That's probably a good question I mean ih w I don't really know where I'm h headed in my work at the moment I'm just writing sh uh short stories as a kind of relief uh from from the novel and and as a kind of different kind of pleasure  But ah I mean I I just write I ah I suppose I've traditionally rih written about y'know things mm close to home and and I sup in a in a way I don't s think of the books as as discrete I see them all as part of this sort of aul uh alternate world that I have the  luxury of um of um knocking together over  over several decades y'know if I if I get a couple more. Um so look who knows maybe there's a there's a there's a Noosa novel in me but um. Uh I think I think the odds aren't good.
One-eight-hundred-eight-oh-two-three-four-one is the number  we're talking with Tim Winton don't forget you can also  go online to the discussion at A B C dot net dot A U forward slash R N  follow the links to Australia Talks Books find the discussion page and leave some thoughts there. One-eight-hundred-eight-oh-two-three-four-one to Metung in Victoria  and uh Fiona thanks for waiting Fiona welcome.
Oh hello how are you.
Yeah good.
Yeah hello to you all. Um that's interesting the the chap who's just was it Nick or Mick um from Bruthen. He's only about uh probably fifteen kilometres from me 'cos I'm we're we're East Gippsland people so we're  and and I.
You're all on the phone down in East Gippsland.
We are. We are  I would echo um I think it was Mick so y'know like could you please come over here and look at East Gippsland Tim Winton and and write some .
Is this an attempt by by Gippsland to hijack the man.
hijack .
Don't you understand he doesn't have a  passport for that part of Australia.
Listen we we we've got a cultural desert over here so we we we need people like that here  we need musicians and writers. Um.
Mate I mate I make cultural deserts wherever I go . Be proud of that.
Come over here mate. Look I suppose I've just uh rung I I haven't rung 'cos I read Cloudstreet for about oh fifteen years uh I or ten or ten years I suppose. And um I read it and I read it in one sitting. I was Cloudstreeted out when I when I'd finished 'cos I I felt it was a wonderful book  and my daughter who was then I suppose seventeen at the time um then took it up and read it and she did the one sitting too  and so we were both Cloudstreeted out  and.
God I wish I could write it in one sitting .
Be be handy wouldn't it Tim.
pretty amazing wouldn't it   but the thing was that  the the the weird stuff you know the the blackfella who was always lurking about. The black man   who was lurking about  and there was there was a particular scene that I've I've just picked yih I've been made to pick up the book again and  and look for it and was it Quick was um he was out in the water and there was a ih th th th there was a  a man.
Is this the day he caught all the fish.
Yeah.
Yeah.
He caught all the fish and the figure of a man walking on the water and it made him laugh. Um and he he sort of he s he said oh he's on a shallow bar. Y'know 'cos he's trying to get defensible. Um and this black man just sort of appeared and and when he got to the shore the blackfella was waiting for him in a pair of calico pants and a British  jacket  um I thought  that was pretty interesting. And then the black fella sort of lurks through the you know like again though the book and  um and there are these these really funny sort of ghostly appearances that happen  and it was really strange because I said to my daughter I found those bits um uh I like I'm I I believe in ghosts and things like that. Um but I I I found they were out of like a bit out of context or something or I didn't feel comfortable at I didn't understand.
Fiona then sit down s.
And she  and she  as a seventeen year old  said they were f they were fine they they they were real they just fitted in they were that was what happened.
Well let's get a response from Tim because we have as I said we've got a boardfull and that was uh that was an extraordinary uh rave from you Fiona I really enjoyed it  . Tim how do you respond to that.
Oh I doh I m don't quite know how to respond I mean if it doesn't work for somebody then en I mean there's nothing I can do about it it's a  it's it's a f it's a failure in the writing or it's just a bad connection. Um and y'know upf obviously that's a  bummer. Um.
Ah   but the daughter loved it. Yes .
Okay let's  let's let's go to to to Ruby in oh no w that was Ruby wasn't it.
No no Ruby's next.
Oh the Ruby's ne oh Ruby in Maryborough in Queensland hello Ruby.
Hello Ramona hello Sandy  and Tim. Tim I've just coincidentally finished reading Cloudstreet three weeks ago. And you're a national treasure it's one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. I loved the poetry. I had great interest and concern in all the characters and um just commenting a bit more on what a previous caller said  about  how you write tragedy so beautifully. I felt through reading the book that there was so much joy and love love of life uh interwoven amongst the tragedy.
Well thank you  . Um I dunno what to say really um  Sandy.
Yes alright well that sound that was a very good response. Yes .
I just didn't quite know .
Let's g let's go to Tom let's go.
It's just so nice of you I just. It's like getting birthday presents.
Yeah look Ruby thank you so much for calling Tom in Toowoomba another man who hasn't read the book Tom.
Yeah well.
Explain yourself.
I I have um I'm meant to um at the moment I haven't read your book but I intend to.
Good.
Uh when Ramona read out that first starting of the book  within the first twenty to thirty seconds I visualised  that she was talking about the Swan river the in Perth   and picnics near Como because when I was a just after school during the late forties you were describing my family and picnics on the river in exactly the same way as I remember it. And that was quite a surprise  so that's why I rung you just 'cos ih 'cos it just struck me so. It's uh just so vivid.
Oh thanks it's it's it's all in the reading .
Thank you very much Tom.
Oh that's right it's all my fault yes actually Tim y'know h seeing Chickery Chick chalah chalah. That song my first publicly performed act in kindergarten  it was very yes it was  very good to see.
Damaged a h   dah damaged a whole string of kids for years .
That's right what did it mean Chickery Chick chalah chalah.
No id no idea I mean I I used to hear it a lot because my uh my grandfather was a a uh a uh in vaudeville well y'know he was a vaudevillian whether how far into vaudeville he  he was although I think he um he warmed up for Roy Rene once um  uh in in in Perth uh ae so we y'know all that nonsense singing and the the kind of strumming of the back of frypans and um y'know jumping around in baggy pants uh there was a lot of that uh in in the family and um and my my  my uh my grandparents sort of had a family band as as well and uh and my old my grandfather sort of managed to s scrape into the uh second A I F um because of music. Um he was he was really too old but he got in the band and um  and that was his sort of second lease of life. And for a lot of people I think y'know once the war was over ih everything went back to normal it was a very dreary place   um which you can see why they had some y'know religious beliefs in the A I F.
Well Susan's on the line from Mildura in Victoria hi Susan.
Hi how are you how are you all.
Good.
Good.
Um I read Cloudstreet and I've like read The Riders and I loved them both but what I want want to say is I'm not an academic and not an intellectual and I I absolutely loved both the books  and I absolutely adored Faulkner when I was young too as Tim did  um but uh prih he said he understood four out of five pages I probably understood one  but I still loved them and I still read them at one sitting and I still um  got so much out of them but I don't really necessarily feel that I need to to understand everything does Tim feel that's would he be disappointed if people didn't understand all his books.
No not not at all I mean um w when you think back to Faulkner 'n' 'n' 'n' 'n' I even I think p y'know people who who love Joyce it's not really necessarily even  um th information it's music that that people will take away and um  if somebody if somebody's carried by the music then  um then uh y'know that's sort of a feat er uh uh uh in it in itself just to just to sweep them  away. Uh obviously you hope to to sweep them away in a in a  in a faintly coherent direction but uh it's hard enough just to  just to just to m uh move people and um  and it's music that does that.
Tim can I can I just ask you something uh about the way you see the world at the moment because w when I r r read reread Cloudstreet that wonderful innocence of the Lambs and the Pickles seems almost from another age to me anyway. When you look around Australia now what are you seeing what kind of place.
Oh I I'm not sure how how innocent the the the place was and there's a certain viciousness to to innocence um at times I mean uh even the even the scene in Cloudstreet where  where there's sort of complete uh ignorance about the fact that um the Aborigines didn't have the vote and they're all sitting around talking about y'know which you you voted and ih the complete  almost callous shock that people had there's a certain  there's a certain nastiness to innocence um so I mean I actually don't wanna be too nostalgic. Oh I dunno I dunno if Australia's that much uh less innocent I think perhaps there's a lot of wilful ignorance but um that's not quite the same. Um  uh I dunno I think we y'know in a way we joined the world 'n' and had second thoughts. Um and I I s still think Australia is a y'know deeply conformist um culture and you look you look at the  the politics at the moment and you've got an opposition leader  desperately trying to say something that sounds different but really isn't different 'cos if you said something that was different then you'd be running the risk of  frightening the frightening the horses.  And you wouldn't want to do that.
Yes frightening the sheep. Yeah look  we've been  yeah Tim we need to wrap it up I just want to say th s so much uh y'know thank you for so much for coming on and spending the time with us uh. Again it's been wonderful and um we look forward to your  writing of  short stories and um  and um I'm sure Ramona that you look forward to that just as much as I do.
I do absolutely . Hurry up  get them out.
Books and writing what's coming up Ramona.
Well this week um we enter the mind of musical genius in the nineteenth century world of Clara Schumann  who was married to Robert  who was y'know composer p uh performer  uh but he was very very mm difficult man to live with he had a had a big mauh mental illness and she had eight kids and you know it's a very wonderful novel by um Janice Galloway so Janice Galloway Scottish writer will be joining me 'cos I spoke to her at the recent Perth  festival of words and ideas  and she's great you know she is really  fiery and full of fun.
Do you listen to.
And we like that.
Do you do you listen to classical music Tim.
Ah yeah I um I don't I don't care for it to be called classical music and I think as soon as I'm I'm a little um like s like some f y'know if you call it classical then it's y'know it's dangerous it's sort of  pushing pushing it away from the listener but yes I I like I like classical music.
Yes. Coming up uh on Australia Talks Books a very different book next time Ramona.
Yes um in March we'll be talking about Sue Woolfe's book The Secret Cure  and uh it's about autism it's also about science um the story of Eva the cleaning lady in a small Australian  scientific laboratory  um she was a junior technician who worked there years ago and nobody knows she's on a secret mission to  discover a cure for autism for her autistic child  and it's about also a a reclusive man who  spies on her but loves her deeply  and it's a it's a very moving novel so you've all got to read it and then Sue Woolfe will join us uh at the end of March last Friday in March  to talk about it and take your calls.
That's  The Secret Cure and let me just remind you books and writing with Ramona is on at five past one on Sunday afternoon and repeated on Tuesday afternoon  at two-thirty have I got the times right Ramona.
Perfecto.
Aah good and what a treat having Tim on the program today it's been so good and Ramona having you back thank you so much for  for for coming back and working with us again and I look forward to talking with you and Sue Woolfe  next month.
Me too.
That.
Good morning how are you.
Ih is it true you've won the uh Australian Children's Book of the Year four times.
Um I got four gold medals .
Well that's good enough for me.
They might be fooling me .
I'd also like to welcome Kerry White she's the author of a massive third volume  just released of the Australian Children's Books A bibliography it's a an amazing tome. She's also a compiler of a website  that is the holy grail of Australian children's literature The Source good morning Kerry.
Good morning Julie.
Uh before we get into talking about these books and and Marcus's marvellous comments  w why do you make such a huge bibliography I could barely carry it into the studio. What's the purpose of a book like this.
Ah I I guess it's best described as the equivalent of a map a literary map so it's for scholars and researchers and everyone who can sort of find their way through the field so  as well as this huge one you're looking at now there's two of similar size that  map the field from seventeen-seventy-four and of course you're possibly thinking there were no Europeans in Australia in seventeen-seventy-four but  nor children's books  but uh Marcie my colleague who did volume one includes books that uh that thought about um adventurers to this great south land. And then we go right through to the end of two-thousand well I carry it through to the end of two-thousand in volumes two and three.
And is it true that you've you read every Australian children's book that's published every year.
Yes. But that's not for the bibliography I just look at the books and describe them and and look at the artwork and so forth. But for The Source and for the two subject guides I publish back in the nineteen-nineties yes I do.
An and The Source is now on the web   essentially what's that.
Um it's a wonderful resource mainly for schools and libraries um for children and adults to use where they can go in and find out about books both Australian and overseas  and we're particularly dedicated to poetry. And so um for example if you had a v had a very harassed school librarian nine o'clock in the morning  and a teacher runs in I need some poems on angels for example . It does happen I can assure you. She'll just leap onto The Source type in angels in the poetry section and get a great list of poems some of them in full text if they're outta copyright that's just one example of the many things you can do on The Source.
Well Kerry I think your credentials are now firmly established  as a as a a gee whiz expert on children's literature in Australia  uh I'd love to get your reflections to kick off our discussion  on how things have changed and perhaps you could start with some of the school readers of the nineteen-sixties and then we could  leap forward to uh some of the more contemporary works uh tell us about the nineteen-sixties . Is it your childhood.
Yes because that's a really only one I can speak with  with any real information. I was at a large primary school in Wollongong called Keiraville public school.
This is south of Sydney.
Yes about eighty kilometres south of Sydney. Um it was at a time when a lotta people were moving into Wollongong so kindergarten I remember was packed out. We didn't have a school library we had the mobile bus from the city council library come around and I can't remember if that was fortnightly or monthly and each class would just file on and pick out their books I remember  getting the brumby books and um various others but you had very little time they just wanted you on and off tsh tsh tshoo . And uh.
So th so there was no library actually in  your school.
No library at all. And we'd have class sets of readers and I've brought along just a couple of what would have been in the school and you said before that you actually recognise one of them.
Y yes can you describe one just to  to remind people what we're talking about.
Well this one called My Storybook Number Two it has a very plain green cover with just black and white drawings on it and it was produced by the Department of Education of New South Wales and the text is very simple it's um.
Just uh just read the first page.
Yeah I'll just read this one it's a little story called Pal. .
Pal being a dog.
Pal being a dog indeed . Was Pal dog food back in the sixties  I can't remember.
I don't know this could be the origin of the name.
It could.  and here's mother in her um pinny making a cake in the most gorgeously neat and tidy kitchen I think I've ever seen in my life. Um .
Now now we can probably break the reading 'cos I think we've got the drift I mean.
Have you got that  it's not too complex.
Well what does that book tell us about the world of those children.
Well this wuh I think would have been given to children uh around five or six maybe more like six actually because I don't really remember being given readers in kindergarten for example. Um so it was very structured. Um obviously written with the intention of teaching. And that was its simple intention  we'd look at them now with a certain amount of nostalgia which makes them more attractive to us like this one actually has the original uh a picture of the original model of the Holden. So that um sort of interests us.
It has a  nostalgia but as a as a a a a person who thinks so much about Australian children's literature now how would you assess that   if someone took that into today's classroom.
Well it would teach people to read in the end but it's not very inspiring  and uh when you think of the lack of other literature we had to draw on as well  um one thing that we had that was very very nih important was New South Wales School Magazine  which is still going and in that you had extracts of novels both by contemporary Australian writers you had poetry and original material a lot of  uh current writers had their start in School Magazine like Robin Klein and Anna Feinburg um.
So an important source of uh quality reading.
Yes.
And and are there equivalents of these sorts of simplistic readers from the sixties  and the enriching uh department publication magazine in all states and territories in Australia is this a common Australian thing.
I think so I know there was a similar Victorian magazine. Um that people still talk about from those days and and is now going in a different format. Um and I'm not really fully aware of any other states but these sort of readers were everywhere. Um I have another one called the Whitcombe's Story Books which were everywhere  in Australia and New Zealand. Um and yes they they just speak of a completely different attitude to teaching reading .
And and in essence what is that attitude.
Well it was just the basics. And um  I don't know if you remember learning to read I don't. It just sorta happened.
Well I remember things  called the S R A Reading Laboratories   they were all these sort well well f for the modern listener what are they  'cos they were I remember them in the corner and I used them a lot.
Yes I did too. Um they were just a box and it came from the U S and there were uh reading cards and you moved through levels you started at level one and went through all colours I think there were colours and and numbers.
Yes it was definitely colour coded.
And you would just sorta start at a level and I know in my class we were very competitive and we'd all try and race through the lot because you'd read a little passage and then you'd do comprehension questions do you remember that.
Uh uh very vividly what I'm getting from you is ih if we're talking about the sixties 'cos what I'm interested in is the change to now  and and what it tells us about our approach to children and childhood. In the sixties it was very learning orientated around literacy  rather than firing the human imagination.
That's right I think the idea of fired human imaginations was left up to family and friends that like that was a personal thing uh and so the the school wasn't providing um fiction as such and so at h you depended on what happened at home. Um I know in Wollongong we did have a a reasonably good children's library but that had only started in the forties like it hadn't been around a long time and I and it became better resourced by the sixties it was quite good but not everyone had access to that I presume.
Well well let's leap forward then  to that young Marcus the ten year old we heard  at at the front of the show.
What a marvellous reaction.
Well clearly able to critically assess a wide range of books to understand the sort of action he wants  even the sort of covers and topics he wants  what does that tell us about the modern child and the I suppose the resources that they have.
Yes well he just was so sophisticated in his reaction to he knew exactly what he wanted and he I I was really very impressed yes.
He he sounded like an informed consumer  now.
That that's a very good description.
Well well it implies to me he's got more choices it's not the  the van pulling up at the school that doesn't have a library that you run into grab a book and run out  he's choosing  from a menu.
That's  indeed that's that is the big difference with with the past and the present like now there is a profusion of books. It is um so much easier for children to access books and uh as well as the library specialist libraries everywhere. Schools I don't think a school exists now that doesn't have a school library it's just unheard of. Um and the the books are bought did you realise oh uh that last Christmas the sales of children's books went up twenty-seven percent so.
Well if we're speaking book sales that's an ideal opportunity to bring in my next guest Gary Crew because he sells very well  and if you've just joined us we're on Life Matters on A B C Radio National Julie McCrossin's my name and my guests are Kerry White  the author of a massive bibliography of Australian's Australian children's books and we're discussing Australian children's books and how they've changed over the years and what that tells us  about childhood and our approach to reading. And also joining me now from Queensland is Gary Crew now Gary  is a very successful writer give us your assessment Gary of the current uh choices for children when it comes to books do you wanna focus on a particular age group like uh perhaps young teens.
Um  yes uh Julie I think that in many ways that choice is um diminishing. And we could argue this diminishes because  if we take the analogy of um T V with um y'know real life T V what do you call it um reality T V. So one show's popular so we'll put on three shows so we'll put on seven shows so by the time you start watching T V at night you've got y'know the whole program is taken up with  hideous forms of reality T V interpretation. What happens therefore is often in the trade um a very successful genre of book um can grow and grow and grow like Topsy um.
Can you give me an example of what  you mean.
I can. Um you might get y kind of your books with bum in the title. So okay and there are quite  a few of those around I don't care about that that's cool I like kids who say bum actually . Um but what happens is while the originators of this uh concept m are are very might be very good at it. Lesser lights uh join in uh on that uh bandwagon and you end up getting pretty y'know crummy books as  a result.
Are you saying that we're somehow in our  marketing efforts uh reducing the sort of intellectual and imaginative content of books for young uh young teenagers.
Uh I think that's very possible. Yeah I do where I mean ask any teacher these days. Uh I think they'd say that they're fairly uh familiar with the expression of dumbing down  um of materials given to children. Can I just go back to one thing Kerry said which fascinated me um I'm sort of geriatric I'm fifty-seven  I went to school I started school in nineteen-fifty-three. In Queensland. Which some might think is a scary concept  but  we had the Queensland School Reader and ironically quite different from what Kerry faced in Wollongong in the sixties  the Queensland School Reader was squarely based upon great literature principally from Victorian times.
Uh I think Kerry was actually saying the New South Wales Department of Education school magazine was also a great source of good literature.
Well that's true. And do you know while it must've been dreadful for the teachers to have to uh excite a ten year old with that material  I mean y'know we we had things like um  Horatio Defends the Bridge uh we had excerpts from The Cloister and the Hearth for goodness sake. Um.
And can you remember your own reactions as a young boy Gary.
Well I I think I'm a freak um.
Oh but no we we  love freaks here  on Radio National .
Well I'm an author and I I lecture at a university. So I was hardly typical I don't think. It was the meaning of life and what Kerry did  say and I utterly agree with was that in those readers like S R A which I taught for twenty years which I did come across later were so impoverished in imaginative realms. The reader we were given was not it was just a glorious richness of literature. And I truly believe this is a great thing that I carry with me through my y'know intellectual and creative life  that younger people uh obviously working in a university in creative writing I'm teaching people as young as eighteen. They don't have. They haven't got that lovely wellspring of riches that was given to me through my primary school.
And Gary is that partly because we now target uh in our publishing industry the market of the different ages of children  whereas in my childhood uh I can say tell you in my early teens as a wide reader I was heading off to George Orwell and Graham Greene and Jane Eyre and all the rest of it.
Indubitably. Look you said at the beginning we'd like to talk about Australian stuff. At the age of fifty-seven I as I am now when I was little I had a couple of options let me explain some stuff. The Magic Pudding I thought was most excruciatingly boring thing I ever saw in my life. I actually saw it on stage and I thought it was boring right. So well that I'll handle that one quickly  but the point I'm making is this I had two options of things I could read basically Enid Blyton who's not Australian I know  but my preference was the Australian Ion Idriess. Now Idriess was a journalist come writer. Who specialised in stuff about the Torres Strait and headhunters and um y'know that sort of thing. His books were on the bed beside y'know my parents' bedside table and because there was such a dearth of books for children. Um I just moved to Idriess. And again I don't think it hurt me.
Mm on Life Matters this morning we're discussing children's literature especially Australian children's literature  and my guests uh successful writer Gary Crew  and Kerry White author of the Australian Children's Books A bibliography a massive tome and a she's a gee whizz expert on children's literature  I'm keen to come to your calls our talkback number one-eight-hundred-oh-two-five-nine-double-seven one-eight-hundred-oh-two-five-nine-double-seven  love to hear of books that lit up your life as a child or your assessment of of books now for children and I might go to Lynn in Ballina in New South Wales good morning Lynne.
Good morning Julie.
Thanks for waiting on what.
Not at all.
What would you like to say.
I would like to say Gary at uh fifty-seven being geriatric is a laugh I am eighty . And I have no grandchildren uh so I know very little about current uh uh children's books. But there were two books in my childhood that truly influenced my life. Now don't laugh. One was Pollyanna. None of you uh may have read it it was about a little girl a daughter of a clergyman who died and all her clothes came from the poor box. But she could put a positive slew on whatever happened to her.
I couldn't live a day without Pollyanna  I just wanna let you know that Lynn.
Thank you thank you thank you Mrs Tittlemouse it was lovely and she taught me the power of positive thinking. The other one was What Katie Did  and for the information of your listeners.
Cultural cream.
I . A little girl who disobeyed her father swung on the swing in the barn and broke her back and was bedridden for X months. She was surly and sullen and uh uh put off all the visits her brothers and sisters made to her until one day an aunt came along  and said we have to change your attitude and ah she prettied up her hair and  and prettied up her room and uh put a smile on her face and Katie became the core of the family. Uh with visitors and flowers and so on. That was change your attitude and people will change their attitude to you.
Lynne thank you so much for ringing a and I and we'll cane Gary Crew for suggesting fifty-seven is old if you're eighty  . Thanks mate thank you.
Okay .
We'll travel to Melbourne now because Sam has rung in with a with a spirited defence of Biggles accused by a ten year old earlier on Life Matters  this morning of not having sufficient action Sam your view. Good morning.
Well good morning Julie when I was five years old I thought Biggles had plenty of action. I thought I thought Biggles was fantastic and I was extremely miffed when this wonderful wonderful full set of all the Biggles stories was given to my brother who had absolutely no interest in reading  and theeh these books were deemed unsuitable reading for me .
Now I'm a girl who stole her big brother's train set Sam so we're on the same wavelength here but what was it about Biggles have you become a member of the airforce at the Australian Airforce after reading Biggles.
Uh no not not exactly um I I think I I I grew out of Biggles reasonably quickly but I think listening to some of the uh discussion this morning  it's just struck me and this is as quite recently now that I'm an auntie  watching sort of my uh nieces and uh nephews now starting to sort of grow up and getting to primary school  just how much when you are small the adults around you influence one way or the other  the books that are available to you. And that's whether they have books in the household whether they will allow you access to those books in the household or whether it's by introducing you to libraries.
Mm Sam thank you. Thank you very much for ringing in I might just come to my guest Kerry White  on that question because you you feel that these days  in a way we m over control and over influence children's reading. Can you speak to that.
Oh absolutely. Every book that was mentioned then I read as a child and here I was saying on the one hand there were no books to be got from school but I'd somehow got my hands on all of those titles and hundreds of more. I never went out of the house without a book. And I used to drive my family mad my I remember my grandmother and I'd be urging her to read the latest Enid Blyton mystery the mysterious whatever it was with the monkey and the little boy and so forth. Um.
And did you sort of range like a chook on whatever you could find.
Everything  I read whatever I could get my hands on  and I guess I did miss having a mentor you know someone who like um with Marcus earlier his mother led him onto Deltora Quest which he turned out to adore. Um I just went as like a chook pecking everywhere everyone's house I went into I would search their bookshelves. So I would go from reading um Enid Blyton to reading Evelyn Waugh  it was a very mixed diet.
Now contrast that with today I was at a home last night having dinner with a mother of four girls  who when I said this was on the radio this morning insisted I bring in  Sandy Beach by Bob Graham Greetings from Sandy Beach and Magic Beach and My Farm from Alison Lester these are  illustrated young children's books . Uh mad that I these must be discussed and it was very clear that she was reasonably directive an in what her children had access to.
Um adults are now very um uh knowledgeable about children's books. Um there's more professional interest in the area. There's always been professional interest in teaching children to read but now ih it's in all areas of children's books. I think it is over controlled like you said before I think there's children need to be given a certain amount of freedom in all areas of their life and in their imaginative life most of all . Um but it is wonderful that people are passionate about them and looking at those books that you just mentioned you can see why. They're just beautiful and uh everybody enjoys them mm.
One-eight-hundred-oh-two-five-nine-double-seven one-eight-hundred-oh-two-five-nine-double-seven is our talkback number this is Life Matters on Radio National Julie McCrossin with you  and we're discussing children's books let's take a few more calls  and then we might hear uh some readings from some more contemporary Australian children's literature  but Hazel has rung in from Melbourne good morning.
Good morning Julie I thought you might be interested in a slightly different angle  um from the point of view of an author because I think one of the things that uh readers do now is  they send fan email  but not just to the author because most authors have websites they actually send it to the characters. And I think that's an indication in the electronic age that uh uh books do cross the barriers um  um a as the author of The Hippopotamus On The Roof Eating Cake  that hippo actually gets fan mail that has to be answered so I think that's one.
Just tell us about the title of that book again the hippopotamus one.
There's a Hippopotamus On My Roof Eating Cake  yeah that's  twenty-five this year but I I the point I wanted to make was that electronically that's how the readers often respond. And I think I'm I I was fascinated by the earlier uh examples that have been mentioned 'cos I've read most of those too and as a self confessed readaholic I still read in the bath but I don't tell librarians that  and I think that um one of the other aspects might be um that  writers um uh uh readers have problems with the writer they they they're not too sure um one of the questions I got was how can you write like a bloke and uh the the point of view of presenting both for male and female readers is something that's come up a great deal and I think one of the areas that  there's the greatest interest ih  in young adult section is in the exotic sec uh settings I think they're interested in areas that they haven't been themselves yet. It's a second hand experience as a young adult to read things.
C can I just ask you Hazel before I let you go you you're the author of the book about the  hippopotamus. Do you answer the the letters  to the  hippopotamus.
Yes I think all and I'm sure Gary Crew would agree with that all children's authors see it as a responsibility to answer I just find it a bit challenging changing um  changing genders and characters so often but um yes  it is a challenge.
Thank you very much for ringing in. Uh Gary I might just come to you again Gary Crew a a children's author in Queensland  I was reading last night your book The Inner Circle and I thought I might just talk to you a little bit about it because we can  bring in uh fiction for slightly older readers. This is uh well tell us the in in a nutshell what the story's about.
Well for a start it's twenty years old. So it's like me talking about wearing flares  so it's a bit scary. Uh it's about two boys one uh indigenous boy and one uh white city boy  who meet uh they're both essentially uh homeless or from dysfunctional families uh and establish a friendship. Um they become as we would call homeless today or they squat  uh in an old power house where they set up kind of life for each other and eventually um they realise that their loveless lives um have no fruition or no no no future at all.
And and t would you agree that it reflects that uh more contemporary trend albeit that it's a little old now  of trying to address for the young reader  the some of the tougher issues in life.
I think so y'know the remarkable thing um. Hodder publish that book now  and I have said to them don't you think it's past its use by date. And they the publishers constantly say no no no it's still selling. Um which is somewhat embarrassing but y'know somebody must like it somewhere. But it still addresses issues that are unresolved. Uh in youth. That issue of alienation for example.
A and a very frank exploration of the breakdown of a marriage and the impact on a young  man.
That's right and it happens y'know it happens all the time.
Could I contrast that Gary I've got a a book in my hand you may not have seen yet I think it's about to come out  Maxx Rumble Crunched and it's all A F L   uh footy stories  there's there's not a lot of words in it there's a huge  uh illustrations o of footy . A and it's it's clearly designed for the reluctant boy reader . I wonder what you think of these books.
I think there is a very real place and I'll tell you why. What you just said um about the illustration is hugely important  to particularly to young males. I don't want to really gender this conversation but there is absolutely any teacher will know any librarian would know  that young males are attracted to visual. So if we want to turn young males on to reading part of that attraction is to give them one of two things. Either a high visual content or a high intriguing non fiction content. E G psychic phenomenon um y'know dirt bikes rally bikes football. And I think that part of luring children into reading um means that they will remain there.
Mm what I'd like to do if I may is uh come to our callers in a moment we've got a b a b a board filling up one-eight-hundred-oh-two-five-nine-double-seven  of people wanting to talk about Australian books that excite them. Let's hear just a a a moment of readings from some very contemporary  Australian books and we're going to s uh hear a little bit from Paul Jennings also from Ruth Starke's Nips Eleven and Phillip Gwynne's Deadly Unna starting with Paul Jennings.
A reading there from Phillip uh Gwynne's Deadly Unna and before that Nips Eleven by Ruth Starke and a and a moment from Paul Jennings his Unreal series  and on Life Matters this morning on Radio National we're talking about Australian Children's literature  my guests are Gary Crew very successful writer from Queensland  and Kerry White compiler of the Australian Children's Books A bibliography volume three uh a series of massive tomes that cover all Australian children's books. And let's go to some of our callers Goldie from Ringwood has been holding on good morning.
Hi.
Hello what would you like to talk about.
Oh look I w um particularly as a teenager was a bookaholic and um I had a unhappy childhood and I just um disappeared and talking about books that take you other places I was very much into  things like John Marsden Tomorrow When the War Began which is hugely popular. Um a.
What's it about.
It's what it is is it's about a group of teenagers and they're sort of ah fifteen sixteen I think  and they're starting to be uh aware sexually and having relationships and they go away on a camping trip  and while they're away this war happens  and their entire town and all of the world as th far as they're concerned has been annihilated and um and th and or people have been taken away and imprisoned  and so they h set up this reconnaissance team and they are stealing tanks and  they're making bombs with stuff from their parents' farms and it's just amazing. Um and I lah I loved them also um Robin Klein and Gillian Rubinstein fantasy  um going somewhere else is important to me.
Yes tell me more about the the fantasy and why you found it so attractive.
Um it was that sense of um being in another place disappearing into a world that felt different that made me  feel like I wasn't where I was um and maybe sometimes that's a little unhealthy I think  um I guess in a sense I wasn't in touch with reality very much it wasn't a pleasant reality I wasn't popular at school my homelife was unpleasant. But also just that magic of that what if this could happen what if there I could be a hero like in Tomorrow When the War Began what if I could go to another world or find an alien and who's wants to learn from me another language and  all this stuff it was just  in intriguing I think.
A and Goldie how old are you now.
I'm twenty-five.
A and what are you reading now.
Um well I'm actually doing English lit at uni this year so I've just finished reading Jane Eyre an accompanying novel Wide Sargasso Sea and I've loved them. Um find them fascinating I must say I read um the Pollyanna books as well . And I read Anne of Green Gables I'm s  was addicted to them.
I'm just so pleased Anne of Green Gables has cracked a mention  'cos she changed my life.
Oh me too. She sh I I for me that was almost fantasy as well 'cos it was so different to the world that I lived in.
Yes.
Uh I've I've got a all the little accompanying books 'n' used to cook up her recipes and .
Goldie thank you so much I think if if if anyone's captured the joy of reading it's you this morning  thank you very much . Thank you. Uh Liz from Coburg good morning.
Good morning she sure has. I also remembered I read the Green Gables  Anne of Green Gables but the book I was calling about was The Family Conspiracy by Joan Phipson.
A and what's that all about and why of all the books have you rung in about that.
Well the I was my my mother bought me this book I think it was the first book  that I ever owned myself and it actually won the Australian Children's Book Council Book of the Year in nineteen-sixty-two. And it's um about a a f a a family a country family who  um need money and all the children um go on their little projects to raise money for their mother's operation. And um I think I suppose I love the book because it um  it it's about making do and resilience and and um children doing things.
And Liz do you have children.
I do I have four children.
And so how do you approach this question of of their reading we were discussing earlier do you direct it and try and shape it or do you let 'em uh rove about.
Well they do what they like now 'cos they're very they're they're twenty-five to thirty-two. Um but I read.
I I think they're probably old enough to choose.
I think they might be. But they I read to them like hours and hours. Uh I read to them all through their their childhood and they're all  um book lovers . All of them book lovers even my son who had a great difficulty learning to read  he loved books even though he couldn't read them.
Uh because you read them to him.
Yeah yeah  and he'd get his brother to help him read his younger brother to help him read and he loved books he'd ha passes books on to me now and says read that mum.
Liz thank you very much  for ringing thank you. Uh.
Thanks Julie bye.
Thank you Katie's rung in from Sydney good morning.
Morning.
You've got very prolific readers for children as well.
Yes and I was um yeah my older daughter is a an amazing reader and actually started to worry in about year two at school that she would read every book in the school library  which she basically did. Um I mean she didn't actually read them all but she read every book that she was interested in and end up hah having to go onto adult books quite young. But one of the things that  I really I learned when when she was little  was from my mother in law who just who was interested in teaching children reading  was just to expose not to be directional not to direct them into what to read although but 'cos I always loved the Alison Lester books and used to read that to the children  but she would go to some store and buy what a whole rae h all the Dr Seuss books or all the Dick Bruna books on y'know knock down prices  and just send them to to the kids  and they just there was just always this wealth of rih of reading material. One time she bought these horrible books that you could press a button on the side and a nursery rhyme would start to play with a really tinny sound and I just  thought oh I I didn't want them them to have them. But they love they just they m just read everything  and anything.
Katie thank you so much ring I'm afraid we'll have to go because you appear to be speaking to us through a tunnel  uh but I'll take one more call and uh then I'd love to uh uh ha uh have a listen to some of our classic Australian children's literature we have a little taste of that for you  but Sally from Sanctuary Point has rung in good morning.
Oh good morning yes. Um like Kerry I was at Keiraville school one of my many schools in the sixties. I'm a former teacher and now tutoring and I just wanted to speak briefly although they're not Australian literature in in defence of the S R A kits.
Now we should just remind listeners who may have joined us we were discussing earlier these uh  oh a reading kit system  that was in the primary school uh uh classrooms of the sixties and and some sharp things about their barrenness was said earlier what would you like to say.
The difference is that they were informative they weren't neccessarily imaginative and I'm sure that a l vast amount of my nat current general knowledge  and interest in in very eclectic interests  came from reading those S R A kits where you skip  with no apparent reason from why dogs have spots to um y'know nuclear power with no political correctness whatsoever .
I love that no apparent reason because I guess teachers these days are more obsessed with context aren't they.
Oh we use it all the time and we try and integrate everything and it's we try and attach meaning to everything whereas each S R A card was a discrete unit  but I was fascinated nonetheless.
Mm Sally thank you very much for ringing and I'll just go to Paul from Ballina in northern New South Wales good morning.
Morning Julie great to talk to you.
Yeah thank you.
Uh just ringing probably I've got the typical male story I read my first book when I was twenty-one . Avoided all the books at high school and uh the first book was The Exorcist and I couldn't put it down  and I've been a an avid reader ever since.
A and what sort of reading are you into now.
Oh it's very eclectic um poetry  through to science um fiction and a lot of biographies.
And Paul is it possible for you to  look back at your childhood and think wh why you were so resistant as a younger man.
I don't really know uh maybe it was a cultural thing a macho kinda thing but I know that  when my son was young I read to him every night I thought maybe uh he he might be different I'd help him y'know be a reader and and really he's never taken up uh the interest in books.
I suppose.
He's now twenty-two.
Righto uh well a question that interests me is what happened when you were twenty-one why suddenly pick up The Exorcist.
I can't remember it's too long ago .
Well thank you for ringing Paul because I have to say normally here on Life Matters when we have these discussions  our uh our uh callers are fifty-fifty men and women and it's been noticeably female dominated today.
Yeah yeah I know it's often the case.
Righto well thanks for ringing.
Thanks Julie.
Uh Gary Crew in Queensland uh I n you said earlier you didn't want to gender this discussion  and yet uh ih it has been a remarkably female call in hasn't it.
That's right. Uh a d a serious issue Julie is this. Rightly wrongly indifferently we find reading and promoting reading for children is seen to be part of the stereotypical female's nurturing role. And that is a terrible terrible travesty. And we've seen this in the range of callers I was so delighted I've been sitting here actually waiting for a man to speak y'know . But that is the case.
A and in your   readership are you  are you are you attracting boy and male readers to your range of books.
It is my first and highest priority. If I have a priority other than creating imaginative worlds. My highest priority is to reach young males.
A and is there any way your publisher can in any way indicate  who is reading your books is that a hard thing for an author to know.
Not my publisher that's not their role but when I visit schools that sort of thing uh you you know. Uh and I do know as I said before while that lovely little boy who spoke earlier who's name I've forgotten.
Uh Marcus.
Marc marc Marcus  uh spoke about action I hear that connection. I also do know that that visual thing um is the big thing with boys.
Wh what do you mean.
The visual element of a book illustration or whatever. Any librarian will tell you you take a group of boys into a library they'll go straight for Tintin or Asterix because they're they're visual they're they're full of like comic pictures . And boys seem to like a higher qual a higher degree of visual  and a lower amount of print text.
Let's go to Barry from Melbourne who's rung in I think on this exact topic good morning Barry.
Good morning yeah exactly that when I started school  at the age of f uh five in nineteen-forty-seven  and the first primary school I went to was till nineteen-fifty-one and the boys all swapped comics and they were currency. They were they were currency you know if one comic would be  two for one if it was Superman against Captain Marvel or whatever. And um uh girls read books and boys read comics and uh it's exactly what you're speaking about we were all attracted to the visual and uh I can remember Tom Mix and Roy Rogers and all American comics  but uh that was what boys did in those days anyway.
A and Barry can you remember the Classic Comics.
Well for us Captain Marvel was  pretty classic.
Oh I y th there was a series called Classic Comics.
Yes I do remember those but they were a bit too high class for us. They were English I think. And uh we'd we read the American trash instead  .
A and are you a reader now.
I've always been a reader yes yes.
A and uh and would it be more books now.
Oh always books yeah  I I went from uh that was primary school I suppose in one once I got into secondary school I started getting into  my favourite book as a kid was Treasure Island I read that about five times .
I've still got a black spot in my hand right now.
Good on you.
Thanks mate for ringing in thank you very much.
Thank you  bye.
Uh Kerry White uh the uh author of this massive bibliography of Australian children's books  uh I'm interested in your response to that emphasis on  comics I mean in your bibliography would or or your work on The Source your website would comics or very illustrated books crack a mention.
Oh yes definitely  there's even a a genre now called graphic novels where um much of the action of the book is depicted in drawings Terry Denton who illustrated Crunched that we referred to before is just  wonderful at that he's done a series of crazy crazy things that draw on myths and surfing and interplanetary voyages altogether in the one book  and there's a whole series and parts of the text that you can only read through like these strange comics that bleed off the page and then go into a bit of text and um. I'm just thinking I think Gary did a picture book that was set up like a comic is that right Gary.
Yes Tagged.
That's it.
Steven Woolman yes.
Uh tell us about that one Gary.
Okay uh Tagged is based on a young boy who uh comes across a a shell-shocked Vietnum Vietnam uh vet in an old warehouse where he has hidden. Uh away from the world he is a y'know he's seriously ill this man. And the boy contacts him and the man tells him of the horrific experience of war. I just wanna get this in. What I wanted to do because the comic format or the uh graphic novel format so often celebrated war as the earlier caller said y'know in the fifties and sixties  I wanted to turn that genre back against itself to have a comic that celebrated pacifism . You see what I mean . Um I mean I'm a bit naughty 'cos obviously it still shows scenes of the horror of the war in Vietnam which is a bit seductive .
Gary I'm interested y'know earlier in our conversation about Australian children's literature you  uh bewailed the uh loss of intellect and imaginative uh power  in some of the books that are targeted at the reluctant reader   and I'm wondering. I suppose is it possible to have these new forms of publication  that are high in visual graphics that muh sustain intellectual and an imaginative power.
Absolutely.
Can you think of any examples.
Oh absolutely have a look at any illustrated book uh by Shaun Tan. Shaun is just Australia's illustrative genius and uh recognised throughout the world as such.
A and aimed at what sort of age range.
Ageless.
Ageless.
Which is the dream and I keep hearing Kerry say y'know spread this smorgasbord of books y'know. So when you get someone like Shaun and this is my dream too  I would like to think that my books were actually audienceless. And that you could cast them about the lounge or the house and the meandering wandering child could pick it up 'n' see gee that looks alright.
Look we've got a a a boardfull of calls we're coming up to the ten o'clock news and I'll come to uh some calls in a moment but can I just say  I just read Possum Magic by Mem Fox illustrated by Julie Vivas  last night for the first time which is a shocking revelation. It's about to be uh reissued in a in a twenty-one year version of it and I must say I was totally engaged in an odd way it is ageless even though it's clearly aimed at children but let's go to Peta from Sydney good morning.
Good morning um I I'm very been fascinated by the last bit of the discussion because I have three daughters and a son and I have despaired of my son ever reading anything but comics or the very very um frugal wuh books which are very frugal in words but he's just read Catcher in the Rye and loved it. Reached year eleven and finally read a book and loved it.
What a great one to click with.
Mm absolutely  um but really what I wanted to say was to compare my experience with my children's um I had the privilege of um being in Adelaide from  age six to ten and Adelaide was the best place in the ninety early nineteen-sixties. And uh I remember weekly visit to the Adelaide Children's Library. And we were four children at that time my mother used to borrow we I think it was four books maximum so we took home sixteen books every week  and returned them every week having read all sixteen. And it was the most wonderful magical place and when we'd read all the children's books suitable they bought more for us . And Adelaide library was the the start of uh really our whole family's reading  but um that was partly because you couldn't rely on the school library they had a handful of books and the public library was the place. What I found interesting with my children  was that the school libraries were so good by the time my kids went to school and they brought me books home that I'd never seen and I read with them um John Marsden and  and Robin Klein and uh so many of the authors that have been mentioned in fact what Goldie said was a repertoire of my girls read and it was just wonderful to read with them books they were finding at school and teachers who were providing them. And if I can just slip in we haven't mentioned Storm Boy um yet and I think that's a great Australian um in fact all the Colin Thiele.
And I should say to people if you can't join us on on the telephone uh today 'cos we won't get to all our calls email us Life Matters at your dot A B C dot net dot A U or write to us care of A B C Radio National G P O box triple-nine-four  Sydney two-thousand-and-one your favourite children's book and why  I'd love to uh have a little reading of them  and also you can leave a brief message please be brief on this uh number oh-two-eight-triple-three-one-four-three-three oh-two-eight-triple-three-one-four-three-three let's go to Shirley from Elwood good morning.
Good morning Julie. I'm I'm ringing about a book I have in front of me it's a nineteen-fifty-six edition  of The Way of the Whirlwind which was written by Mary and Elizabeth Durack and I can only assume that Mary was the writer and Elizabeth the painter  because the illustrations in this book are just so extraordinary and I remember as a child when I when I first read this book back in the early nineteen-forties  that uh the it was the illustrations as much I've been a reader all my life that was the story itself is also fantastic but  Elizabeth Durack of course did uh um gain a lot of um pos perhaps notoriety is the word but a lot of it media attention  because of her uh painting in the style of Aboriginal people um when she was much older but as a painter when she was young the illustrations are just extraordinary I'm looking at one at the moment  with two little Aboriginal children on the back of a crocodile and the uh illustration says   and that's a b illustration of two of the children on a crocodile  under the water and they're going to visit the old rainbow snake who lives in the underwater cave now.
Shirley uh thank you so much I'm gunna just try and squeeze in Michelle from Chilton in Victoria Michelle a very brief anecdote I'm afraid how do you get your children to read.
Well ending on a funny note I've got a nine year old sports mad boy and trying to pin him down to a particular  style of book that would suit him I tried to get him to read The Famous Five which made a fairly big impression on me at that age. And um I have to laugh in the middle of the night  or later in the evening as he commenced reading the book he sung out to me mum mum what author in their right mind would call their kids Tom Dick and Fanny.
Thank you Michelle for that uh final comment and thank you so much to Gary Crew a very successful children's author who's been with us from Queensland and Kerry White her massive tome the Australian Children's Books A bibliography volume three nineteen-eighty-nine to two-thousand of course goes right back  to seventeen-eighty-four and thank you to all our callers and to Anne Arnold for production news is next  and then we'll have a look at the pharmaceutical benefits scheme.
One-eight-hundred-eight-oh-two-three-four-one let's go to Melbourne. Anne-Marie welcome to Australia Talks Back.
Oh hi how are you.
Yeah good thank you.
Um I just wanted to put a thought forward about the um cut in um  education and university fees.
Oh the HECS funding yep yep.
Yeah. Um  I had a thought about uh another repercussion that no-one's really thought of is that students who've had a free education they feel the urge or obligation to give something back to the community and um I think Brendan Nelson expressed a a worry that his education was paid for by the taxes of the working class  and perhaps if he'd paid for it paid for his own education he wouldn't have actually felt um the freedom or the urge to go into politics and have ideals that he could um work towards. He might've felt more obliged to go and earn some money and   keep his own um.
Interesting thought Anne-Marie. Thank you very much indeed and uh Ron uh says . Thanks Ron. Sylvia in Canberra hello Sylvia. Sylvia hello.
Oh it's Sylvia in Sydney.
Oh are you in Sydney well it sih  I've just relocated you to Canberra . Welcome to Sydney yes go on Sylvia.
That's the right thing. Oh it's just about the travel . I went to Bali last year and I'm going again this year. My family live there they've been there  seven years. But they keep in touch with the Australian embassy all the time.
And you feel  quite happy about about travelling in that.
Yes. And  when I said to my son is it safe he said well is anywhere safe in the world really . It could happen in Sydney. So um .
Yeah and what sort of people would we be if we let terrorists dictate where we took our holidays.
Well they they'd enjoy it all the more. Really.
Yes yeah. I mean it would be a sign that they'd won and I don't think they're gunna win this one.
Well that's the thing yeah . But I noticed there's a lot more security at the airport in the hotels  at the school . So if people are and they said people are beginning to go back.
Yes alright look thank you very much Sylvia nice to talk to you that's Sylvia in Sydney. And Neil echoes several other emails when he says . That's Neil and Neil's from Townsville in Queensland summing up what uh several emails said. And by the way if your email does not get read out I'm sure that something similar to it will. One-eight-hundred-eight-oh-two-three-four-one Mark in Melbourne welcome to Radio National nice to have you with us Mark. Hello Mark. No we'll put Mark on hold and um instead we'll head to Fred near Geraldton in W A. Hello Fred.
Oh g'day Sandy.
Yes g'day Fred.
I I enjoy your program immensely.
Thank you very much. It's a team  effort.
I'm sure it is. Um what I wanted to say was that uh Brendan Nelson and his  ideology  and the ideology of the uh Liberal party in terms of public education and in terms specifically I mean I went to uni. Um my parents couldn't have  would never have been able to afford to send me to uni. Um and I went there uh and was supported by the state. Um and I find it extraordinary and in fact if you go through the whole realm of all those people John Howard um a Abbot. All of those people were supported by scholarships that were publicly funded and and yet they're turning around and destroying that and  uh I find it  and what really disturbs me is that nobody seems to care is that  everybody goes oh well  pay as you earn.
But there are there are s there are some exceptions I I got a a a fax today from the the Central Queensland University and I was I was interested in their reason for not raising HECS fees. They're one of the very few who're not raising HECS fees and the reason that the uh the vice chancellor Glenice Hancock put out was that uh to increase fees by as much as twenty-five percent would be a burden to the communities serviced by the university.
Yes I know but  I mean I'm a teacher  and uh I I know young graduates coming out now are coming out with debts of eighteen-thousand dollars twenty-thousand dollars fifteen-thousand dollars  a and they're only twenty years old they're twenty-one years old. So they've gotta pay that off before they even can begin to think about um uh uh you know buying their house  buying their car and all of that.
But Fred isn't it isn't it . Yes but isn't it isn't it also uh damning that that a lot of people won't actually go to university now because of this.
Yes precisely.
Yes because I mean the the.
they'll do a run away. No no exactly right.
Yes. Look thanks Fred and uh you'll be interested in this next email comes from Peter in the Gold Coast hinterland who says . It's a very telling email and uh uh echoes several others that we had too. Peter thanks for sending that. Kim near Narooma hello Kim.
Hello Sandy. Sandy uh the government exhorting the elderly back to work. I think that will create a workplace of monkeys. The reason why is they will deregulate uh the minimum wage and employees will uh will pay them peanuts. The ratio of full time to part time work Sandy is increasing you know and  hence a drop in disposable income as it is. For example the pensioners  apart from food  they pay more than their fair share of tax especially the G S T you know they arguably are the biggest consumers of handyman services. Re-allocating a maybe one or two percent of the extremely exorbitant defence budget for example. I mean that should take care of the welfare end of things.
Thank you very much for your thoughts and uh on the same issue we had a a charming letter from Trish. Uh not sure where Trish was from but it was one of the few handwritten letters we've had in a long time and Trish says . Thanks Trish and uh from there to David uh in Bathurst and David welcome to the program.
Hello Sandy  how are you.
Very well indeed.
Um my comment relates to some obvious misconceptions that are in evidence as far as how much people earn once they have graduated from university . And especially in the case of Mark from Queensland who is a teacher. We did some modelling in the nineteen-eighties specifically Sam Ball professor of education at Sydney University. And we compared what a teacher would earn with a bus driver. And until the teacher did their four year degree bachelor's degree and then did some teaching and perhaps came back to do a P H D they would be fifty-five before they earned the same amount of money as the bus driver . Fifty-five. Now the HECS load now is significantly greater than it was in the nineteen-eighties when Sam Ball did that calculation.
So would you agree we've got an we had an email from another Peter and he said um . He goes on to say .
This is correct . And it is even worse than that. At universities where I teach I teach at Charles Sturt University we're no longer competitors with um the school teaching system. They're earning more than than lecturers and associate lecturers  after a very short time in the the classroom. So where're our universities going to end up.
That's a very big question. David great to talk to you thank you indeed uh for your time and expertise and Jim in Perth  thank you for waiting welcome Jim.
Oh hello Sandy.
Yes g'day.
Um uh I've been a tutor and um I I wanna talk uh similar to what your last caller is the problems that universities have. But also the problems that students have voiced uh concerning the quality of their tuition . Wuh w what we have here is a a dynamic intp interplay between funding enrolments the staffing and the tuition itself . I don't believe that universities take their staffing adjustments lightly. Um ih ordinarily they'll take on staff if uh there needs to be uh some adjustment to courses that uh requires more work to bring them up to standard with uh what's known in recent research developments. And when the staff are taken on uh they need to be given some contractual security of employment . Okay so amongst these the funding and the enrolments the staffing the tuition uh the staffing is uh ha has got the least lag time  in a lot of ways hwh funding will be oh once a year um enrolment's once a year and tuition is left as wha what's what's uh what they can do after .
After the rest of it yes. Alright look Jim I'm gunna leave it there th thank you very much indeed for your call Ruth at Banora Point hello Ruth.
Hi Sandy.
Yeah g'day.
Uh g'day just a couple of points  um just regarding the superannuation  um I I'm a mature aged person and I tried to access of my superannuation to pay for retraining and I had to even if I could get it  I'd have to pay twenty per cent tax on it  and I feel that um some people may not necessarily wanna retrain through uni but maybe through TAFE and I think there should be a loan scheme introduced for TAFE courses.
Thank you very much and  you had another point.
Yeah uh the other the other point's oh I've forgotten what it was uh.
Never mind.
oh just quickly the other thing is about actually mature age people going back to work  when you look around in the community you hardly see anyone over fuh forty-five working anywhere .
Yes.
Okay.
Thank you very much indeed nice to talk to you and uh Karen from uh uh Victoria says . Thanks Karen. Uh a awful lot of people seem to uh to echo that very thought and it seems strange that in this day and age we don't have a population policy or we appear not to have one  and um thank you indeed for taking time to send us an email. And uh let's go to another email which comes uh from um Jim and Jim said and I just wanted to correct Jim's facts 'cos Jim said . This was uh in reference to our story on on travel in the time of terror. Uh . Well we actually checked on that Jim and that's unfortunately not factual. But um it was a nice try. Let's go to Paul in Melbourne hello Paul.
Yeah speaking.
Yes Paul go ahead.
Yeah um on climate change and and the reef uh it strikes me as a a problem that needs a big solution and part of that solution is um I see as biodiesel. And at the moment there's not much biodiesel available in Australia and the problem we have is the government is uh taxing the uh fledgling industry instead of encouraging it.
Right and what what about other fuels.
There's a lotta fuels on the horizon but most of them are still fossil based . Unfortunately we we don't have a lot of options um when it comes to uh renewable energy uh hydrogen is often touted as a um a future fuel but you still have to get the energy from somewhere to create the hydrogen. I guess biodiesel allows us to at least grow a fuel grow a canola crop  and turn it into biodiesel and then run it on your car so at least it's renew at least it's carbon neutral so it a si is a step in the right direction.
Paul thank you very much indeed let me just give you the uh the four pr uh programs again so that if you're trying to get through you've uh you've got an idea of what we're talking about on Australia Talks Back tonight. Will we be working till we drop the whole look at the uh the idea that uh people should put off retirement and and work a little longer. Uh what's it like to travel in the age of terror those travel advisories and whether you take any notice of them uh and uh how they were put together it was a fascinating discussion on the program about that. Is higher education just for the rich and boy did that get a deluge of uh emails and faxes. And how can we save the Great Barrier Reef whose latest report card is not good it was interesting watching uh the rise in temperatures and the the panic that ensued I guess amongst climatologists and then those winds came in and the winds chilling the reef actually stopped or uh um negated some of the damage that was uh potentially about to be done  so uh c the climate actually stepped in and uh and did the right thing there. The number by the way is one-eight-hundred-eight-oh-two-three-four-one. Right around the country and this is Neil in Bundeena  on the sunshine coast  g'day.
Buddina er Sandy.
Oh sorry where.
Buh Buddina.
Oh Buddina yeah okay.
Yeah   uh we've just had a cyclone masquerading as a low pressure system go through here.
Have you just ha uh just shortly.
Oh yeah the last couple of three four hours.
Woah. Heading in which direction.
Uh  it's going it's going sort of down to Kingaroy I think. Somewhere
Yeah head heading south.
That's right.
I'll I'll look out for it . So Neil you wanted to talk about HECS and ageing.
Yeah uh th just a brief comment about Brendan Nelson  um these people I don't know about this government they don't seem to think in terms of people they think in terms of numbers. He was emphasising that the participation rate won't go down but what about the effect on the people that are going to have to  you know get these debts . Anyway this point's been made by others so I won't persist with it but with the ageing population  I'm seventy-two.
Yep.
And uh I paid my taxes all my life. And including the uh four and a half per cent or whatever it was levy that was uh designed to uh be extracted from us to to pay for our pensions a guaranteed pension. Now I'm still working  um  but the government's  line that it's  a matter of y'know not having skilled workers and that sort of thing is why they want to bring them back it's got nothing to do with it. Look I'm quite happy to work. But  I've got to do it for nothing I have to do it pro bono I'm an anthropologist  mainly because if I uh charge a fee I'm taxed at about seventy per cent. Now if they want us to have an .
That's out that's outrageous though isn't it.
Oh it's it's  crazy. It's absolutely crazy and it gih gives a lie to this business that they uh  they're interested it y'know worried about the fact that there aren't people getting y'know with the experience staying in the workforce well  I've got news for them y'know . A lot of us a lot of old people I do a bit of lecturing for uh for University of the Third Age and so forth and  y'know we're happy to contribute. Delighted to. But give us a bit of a go y'know .
Yes okay look thank you indeed for your for your call. And that's uh Neil from the Sunshine Coast. And uh very similar sorts of views from Joe in uh Greensborough in Victoria who says . And that's uh from Joe at Greensborough thank you. And to Ron just out of Wagga how's the weather Ron.
Hot.
Hot.
I d d wanted t to tell you I my wife and I have just returned from eleven months in the Greek islands.
Oh eleven months in the Greek islands wow.
A a a we went uh  but w you you'd land at Athens and you walked in the airport and nearly d d die of a shock.
Right why.
Ooh uh there's gentlemen w with machine guns walking everywhere uh and it's kind .
But wouldn't you rather Ron wouldn't you rather have gentlemen walking with machine guns than have terrorists around the place.
Yes but can I uh I I tell you the rest of it 'n' then w we go down to Piraeus  'n' we get on the ferry and we uh went out to Ios. And we theh theh theh th then rang up our consulate and said we want to go to Epidaurus and Delphi and Corinth and so forth and they told us what to do and and what not and then we got the bright idea we w w would slip over t t to Turkey and we did and they told us what to do  and then we got the bright idea we would go over to Brindisi  and th we we were uh informed well uh that there were certain re restrictions but .
So hang on what you're saying Ron is every time before you went somewhere you rang the consulate and checked.
Uh uh yes.
Yeah good yeah.
A and I will say this uh and that the one that really uh we decided we'd go uh uh over to Knossos on Crete . A and when we got on the ferry we'd called into Ios  eh eh eh every second day we called in  the captain lined me up and said was I so and so and I said yes he said this is from your consulate  and this was instructions how to behave and conduct ourself on Crete.
Oh good on them. Oh I hope you.
thought it was wonderful.
I hope you wrote the wrote the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade a really nice letter 'cos it's not very often we hear really good positive stories but Ron I've got a question for you  all last year you were ringing up Australia Talks Back complaining about the weather and and the drought and how bad it was for farmers. How on earth can you afford eleven months in the Greek islands .
Because  uh uh uh a a we got the r r rain at the g g g good time  a a and g g g g got.
That was the rain I sent you wasn't it Ron.
Yeah.
Yeah yeah.
And I gotta too tell you something eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh el else. The wool grew well and the sheep prospered.
I'm glad to hear  Ron have a great weekend that's Ron just out of Wagga who uh regulars will remember last year  was one of our regulars talking about the the drought  Lillian. How are you Lillian over there in W A nice to talk to you.
Yes nice to talk to you  again. There's one aspect of education that I'm very concerned about  my grand-daughter is rather upset she said there're big advertisements in children's magazines or youth magazines for children to join the military. Now five c uh colleges have closed in California and within twenty-four hours the military are in signing 'em up for packages for the military . Mr Watson returned from Iraq and he said every one but one serviceman from America he'd spoken to had their education through the military and I'm very concerned about this. If poorer people are not going to be educated what is going to happen to them  I know my grand-daughter's really concerned.
Yes look thank you very much indeed 'n' there are many people who feel the same way. Sharon from Coogee says . Sharon that's a wonderful thought. That's a wonderful thought but it's  it's not quite in tune with the economic rationalist world we we live in but I've  lotta people would sympathise with that. And from there to Amen in Sydney hello. Amen welcome. Hello Amen. No we'll put Amen on hold and go to Anne in Hervey Bay hello Anne.
Hello there.
Yes.
Yes I wanted to speak to two issues the issue of the HECS fees and also the issue of um older workers. I'm um a mature person I'm retired now  but I was also one of Gough's girls I was the lucky person who  uh got a free education as a result of Gough's uh wonderful changes to the education system. I would never have been able to afford a degree without it. Now um I am now retired I would work  twenty to twenty-five sometimes more hours a week voluntarily using my degree in areas that the government chooses not to fund for example bereavement support palliative care  uh community development those areas are not appropriately funded or sufficiently well-funded by any level of government and I'm not alone I know of of many others  that do the same.
And we have got probabry probably had twenty or thirty emails saying exactly that.
Yeah.
So there are an awful lot of people who'd agree with that. Yeah.
So to say you know that we should be working is we are working it's just that we're not paid for it.
Yes. It was interesting theh Doug uh from Canberra sent us an email who said uh  just the point you're making    .
Yes it also touches on the issue of people who are have to um work for their unemployment benefit . Um on on so-called voluntary schemes for which they are not  uh they are neither the qualified nor experienced  um just to I think ih in in a. Okay it's it's an undignified way of saying to people you're not uh worth getting a a basic amount of money to live on  you damn well work for it and  and the work that they do is is very often not um useful to them in even in uh career.
Anne thank you indeed and have a great weekend up there in Hervey Bay  lovely part of the world Amen in Sydney are you s are you there now. Hello Amen.
Yes yes I'm here.
Hello welcome.
Uh thank you thank you look I uh I wanted to touch on um two topics one was HECS and one was superannuation. Um I'm uh I'm actually twenty-three years old and uh and I attended university uh about uh three years ago  straight out of high school.
Yep.
Now there um what what concerned me while I was at university was the number of people that were going there because it um pressures from family to actually attend university complete a degree. Um there was no desire for them to actually hold a university degree other than to please their parents and um.
Yeah it was just family pressure yep.
Absolutely  absolutely look I can tell you that um I succumbed to family pressure to actually go to university and look  I was a high achiever at high school and but I didn't know what I wanted to do at university and I went in there wih y'know blindly and I um and I did an I T degree  and um and look it was actually incomplete when I decided to um go into the workforce and look I've I've prospered uh so much from from the learning experience that uh that I had at university and and the skills that I gained not so much in what I was studying but but how to think how to learn just like that uh that email that was written in earlier and that really that was what um uh y'know what I learned from . Um uh now there's there's just not enough emphasis on that 'n' look  um there's there's uh a another point that what that leads to the the number of people going just for the sake of it is uh ih is an inflation in the number of uh students actually uh y'know enrolled in their course studying it  completed and and you've got overcrowded lecture theatres uh overcrowded tutorials and and um a and now they're y'know the universities uh need more funding to to support this this increase .
So how d uh I mean you've you've pointed your finger to a really important problem Amen but how on earth  do you solve something like that how do you solve the problem of people putting pressure on kids to go to university kids who don't want to or the societal belief that you're not gunna get on in life unless you've got a degree which is  blatantly silly as well.
I can tell you that if I had a counsellor at uh at high school  that really counselled me as to my choices look in year ten I really uh agreed to people leaving high school when they knew they weren't gunna go to uni when they knew they didn't want to  I was uh completely for people starting apprenticeships because the amount of money that they'd save themselves and they'd have a foot in the door in an industry that they that they love y'know mechanics and hairdressers and the like  these people are they're going to going through year twelve and then going into uni doing some  arts course which they just barely scraped into  wasting their time and their money and uh and in the end they're not really uh y'know applying themselves and and getting any sort of a skill that would that would benefit this uh y'know their their community and um  and yeah look the way around it is counselling at uh at school I think if.
At school I think that's a that's a good point Amen thank you very much I've gotta move on to Doug in Karratha. Hello Doug welcome.
Hello Sandy.
Yes g'day.
And good show this this week uh  three topics one is em retirement. I've been salary sacrificing now for uh nearly twelve years  and em coming up to my fifties and g I'm seriously looking at retiring in my mid fifties  and that's the lesson I learnt from my apprenticeship in uh many years ago at Midland Workshops where  people worked through to sixty-five  we'd have the big em farewell for them and six months later the uh flags  would be at half mast and they'd die basically. .
Yep yep. They'd retire at sixty-five and then the funeral at sixty-six.
Yeah  basically and that happened time and time again but the big concern I have is for my em children. What chance have they got with regards to superannuation especially with the current job prospects where people are the uh standardised long-term employment jobs have gone and people are very much looking at short-term contractual jobs.
Yes yes.
And saving for superannuation there's gunna be a nightmare for them . And uh I don't know what we're gunna do about that. The other one is HECS fees. Em I've got a daughter currently at university and I'm encouraging her to go on and do her em honours and masters simply because of the fact that em retiring or leaving uni with a degree really doesn't guarantee you any sort of position at all so  the costs of those are exacerbated simply because to guarantee yourself some work you really have to go on and em do your masters a lot of the time. Um and the third one while I'm on a roll is uh with regard to the environment I heard on your show some bloke talking about em having to build a whole heap of new power stations if they convert to gas. That's not really the case basically all you need to do is retube the the boilers themselves .
Yeah the the retubing of the boilers yes  we had several people  sent us an email about that yeah.
And you can go straight into em gas-fired power station at minimal cost and you actually get more efficiency out of them so you increase the efficiency.
Yep.
Of the of the power stations. So.
Thank you very much . That's good to  talk to you and uh have a great weekend let's head to uh Michael in Canberra hello Michael.
Hello yes uh my point relates to to both uh terrorism and travel and the the greenhouse gases issue  and one of your wuh  your show Earth Beat a number of years ago made the point that um  air travel is has enormous consequences for greenhouse gases and I guess what I wanted to say is that unrestrained um tourism especially through air travel is a kind of ecoterrorism in it's own right  basically.
Wow there's a there's an interesting thought.
Okay.
Yep  thank you very much indeed. Bill in Lismore welcome to the program Bill.
Sandy  great show.
Thank you.
Um yih I listened last night about uh coral reefs . Uh there was there was a woman on the show I think she came from uh A C F or the World Wildlife Fund  I was disappointed that she she dismissed uh population reduction as a possible solution to the problems a couple of callers mentioned that.
Yeah I I heard that . I I heard that but I didn't hear her so much dismiss it outright as as say that y'know look that's a whole other debate that we need to have.
Yes yeah.
you're talking about Anna Reynolds's comments yeah.
Yes yes that's right. Well can I explain what I mean basically I think that the coral reefs dying is a is a s is is just another casualty of the global impact of humans on their environment  um and you can you can uh divide the or break down the impact of humans on the on the world uh into two factors one is the ecological footprint that is the that is a measure of the the amount of uh mess that each indiv average individual makes  and multiply that by the number of people  now if we were to try and make a su substantial reduction in our ecological footprint it would it would involve a huge and and uh almost unacceptable change to the wa to our way of life yet yet population reduction is actually very easy and very achievable. The answer's right under our noses.
But why don't we have an aj a uh um a population policy for the  for the country.
Good point.
Yeah  yeah alright look thank you for for raising that let's head uh to Elvis in Sydney hello Elvis.
Uh hello Sandy.
Yes g'day.
G'day. Uh the general assumption seems to be that if you want a good education  you need to enrol in a university or some other  educational institution. Well I think you can get a good education by listening to the ABC going to libraries um  probably uh evening classes at uh technical colleges  and uh and uh and the like. Mm
Yep. I think an awful lot of other uh of people would agree with that and I know a lot of people uh Elvis in uh in really good um jobs around the place who don't have a university education. Uh it's not the be all and end all of course it obviously helps in a lot of lot of careers. I think doctors are one of them. Let's go go Audrey in Sydney hello Audrey welcome.
Sandy hello  look I I hope  I missed the barrier reef night and I hope this hasn't been raised but the Democrats  last year uh and before c huh collected clear evidence that um vast areas of coral sea will be released to oil companies and they've been pressing for legislation  to um prevent this by extending the marine park . So there wouldn't be oil exploration .
Yes I don't think the uh the question of of uh extending the marine park came up on the program last night but it's a it's an interesting one  and one that the Demuh I remember the Democrats raising yeah.
And it's pretty obvious that it's hard you know it's going to lead to the degradation of the coral reefs I doh I my point is it doesn't matter what party you belong to  just t to keep that in mind and so that the major parties you know take an interest in it.
Thank you very much indeed that's Audrey in Sydney and Peter in Cairns hello Peter.
Oh hi mate how are you.
Yeah good.
Look I just wanted to support the previous uh caller. I'm doing a masters degree. It's costing about fifteen-thousand dollars . Um there's no way that when I finish it in uh twelve months time I'll be able to turn around saying to my employer I'll have another fifteen-thousand dollars a year thanks.
Yeah it just doesn't work does it.
No it's done I mean I'm sure that there is  there are people that do do it for the money and that's fine. But I I think I'm like a lot of people that uh we do these degrees out of personal and professional interest because whether we like it or not  there is only the information in our chosen areas that is taught at that level.
Yes yeah. Thank you very much indeed. This is Australia Talks Back the number's one-eight-hundred-eight-oh-two-three-four-one and uh we head to Stuart at Glenroy in Victoria hello Stuart.
How are you Sandy.
Yeah good thank you.
Uh love your program um I just had a s an alternative view on this on the HECS fees . Um it would probably cost the government a little bit of money to start with but as soon as the person starts working after they've finished their degree all their tax goes straight to their HECS debt.
Ah so it's it's actually uh earmarked and um  yep.
And it it would encourage would free up their  uh taxable income for a start so they'd be able to pay more G S T and uh they'd just would wouldn't be a burden on their income  and y'know with a lotta people they'd be paying four five thousand dollars a year tax to start with anyway once they finish their course so that most people would um have their HECS debt paid off probably within three or four years. They'd be contributing extra G S T and so on.
Interesting thought thank you very much indeed. Peter in Hobart thanks for waiting Peter welcome to the program.
Well that's a brilliant idea the last speaker  has had wonderful. Look I I haven't heard your other program nor have I heard tonight I tuned in most recently. .
Well Peter welc welcome aboard.
Oh thank you.
This this is the biggest talkback program in Australia and you've just made it one person bigger.
Running late tonight . Um I've heard Brendan Nelson justify the charges in terms of  only those who get jobs and have money will have to refund these HECS charges. But not long ago I talked to a university lecturer who said that her classes were full of people who were doing courses but whom she knew would never work because they were doing it for hobby purposes . These were often mature age people and they thought this is great I've got nothing to do I'll do a university course it's most satisfying fulfilling and it's wonderful.
Yes.
Now they're not going to pay for it. And they're taking up space time resources everything else. How big is that problem. Is it a significant problem  does it exist. I'm sure it does but how big is it.
It'd be really interesting to get the figures I mean we've we've had  people send us emails ab s claiming to know these figures and one one  email that came in this week said that fifty per cent of places at universities are now mature age people.
Right well how can they not know the answer to those questions  when they enter into such a scheme as this  where the I've got two daughters uh approaching yi well one's at uni and one's approaching uni age. And they're going to have this debt  which admittedly won't have to be paid until they earn significant salaries but it will deprive them of everything else that we would have used in your and my time  uh at that stage in our life uh because they'll have this thing hanging over their head.
Yes yeah exactly Peter thanks very much indeed that's Peter from Hobart. And on Australia Talks Back we uh we're gunna go to Freo and to Fremantle and Paul hello Paul.
Hi there how are you going.
Yeah very well thanks Paul.
Uh look um I just wanted to suggest to people what a uh a program I saw on channel two a few years ago now.
Sorry can I just ask what topic are we talking about.
Oh m m global warming.
Global warming and the reef yep uh yep.
Yeah uh uh it's just that they their theory was having dug into a uh some guys Americans dug into a a river in South America and and found out that uh back in uh uh dinosaur days or not uh it it probably the the w the same thing we're going through now happened in the past and also w digging down they found that they had huge droughts uh uh uh y'know and .
Yes I I h I actually heard on the program the other day that um some nine-hundred years ago or so or nine-thousand years ago or so there had been other uh climate events like this. The problem is that uh uh a as was said uh very adroitly by one of the guests on the program that it's uh it's not within the thinking space of the uh either the local environment minister or the local tourism minister you need to think in terms of how does this affect the reef for next year and the year after that thinking in decades not hundreds and hundreds of years but yes true the uh the climate record has changed over the years and shown some some pretty warm spots. Paul in Canberra thank you for waiting Paul.
Hello Sandy a pleasure. I wanted to talk about uh retirement and uh and an ageing workforce. Um I'll just quickly give you a snapshot of the situation that I'm in. Um I had the experience of being in the public service for twenty years  and the total effect of the way in which the public service is run and I know this applies to large private uh enterprises as well  was that it created a very toxic work environment. Most of the people I know which of uh in all the areas that I've worked in over over the twenty years were just waiting to retire . They couldn't bear the agony of being disempowered in the workplace in all the myriad ways that it happens. And since then I've been lucky I took a year off I gradually regained my strength being away from that environment and at the age of nearly fifty I've reinvented myself I've gone away and done a mature age masters degree.
Oh got yourself a big HECS debt.
No I  paid two-th two and a half thousand dollars a unit uh   but of course I could afford it 'cos I was mature age . So anyway leaving that to one side  and now I'm I'm I'm pumped I feel all the energy of youth returning to me I'm making progress in new work environments that seem to be better managed.
Yep.
Perhaps a fluke  who knows but.
And and healthier environments.
Healthier environments . But also I guess because I've got a little bit of capital behind me and now I can make the offer to resign  um quite meaningful and I know that I'm no longer in the clutches of people who would just squeeze me dry  I have a lot of energy.
Fantastic.
And and so anyway I just think that that does have application to the whole issue of of of a mature age workforce mature age students  um and I've heard quite a lot of debate obviously over the last uh few weeks on the radio.
Yes.
And the number of people who've said oh look I'd never go back to work I was just y'know disempowered and I couldn't bear it.
Yes. And well you're proof that it's not true thank you indeed for calling and we go to Judith in Ulladulla. Hello Judith welcome to Australia Talks Back.
Ooh yeah   there. Oh right um it's me yeah.
Yes Judith go ahead.
Oh good well well I t I've been trying to upskill upskill upskill and I've I've done my this 'n' this 'n' this 'n' I'm up to now um  diploma I've done that 'n' uh 'n' now I'm uh heading for a uh a degree. It really doesn't seem to matter. 'Cos I haven't had the um previous work experience in that field  uh um even.
So even though you've gone and upskilled you have still finding it difficult to get work.
Yes  because none of my previous experience even though I've been conveyancing  statistics and and no matter where I was it doesn't uh they all say no no no you can't put that on your resume 'cos it's far too far away.
Yes.
That's ridiculous it seems to me.
So how long have you been looking for work Judith.
Oh well looking for work uh well now I'm in in the fifty bracket but  I've done all sorts of things and doesn't seem to matter.
Yes. Uh all that experience and nobody really cares about it do they it's really sad. Judith good to talk to you Judith in Ulladulla and that's the program for the week. My thanks to all of the the wonderful contributions from from you on the end of the phone 'n' all that dialling and for those who didn't get through well there's always next week. And my thanks to the tireless A T B team this week  technical producers Jim fingers Ussher and Peter doublefinger McMurray  producers Lindy Raine Keng Lim and Andrew Davies and executive producer the grand poobah Gerald Tooth. Who did a wonderful job looking after the program yesterday. On Monday group sex and male sport the unacceptable treatment of women by high profile sportsmen has been shockingly exposed recently. But what does it say about male sexuality. And h why have we come so far from the true ideals of sport. We'll look at that  group sex and male sport. It's a dark topic  but in the meantime have yourself a wonderful weekend with Radio National.
Eighteen minutes past ten eighteen past nine in Queensland eighteen past seven in Western Australia. Navigating the world of treatment for menopause can be a nightmare. In the last month we've seen the cancellation of a seven year trial in the states  sending more shockwaves through the community. Already a topic that causes a lotta confusion hormone replacement therapy or H R T has been controversial since its widespread use in the early nineties but does that mean it's not beneficial for some people. Menopause is different for each woman  uh some women suffer few side effects during the change as it's affectionately known and uh others suffer severe weight loss loss of sex drive uh mood swings and of course the dreaded hot flushes. So uh how do we make sense of everything that's on offer. To help us out tonight Dr Barry Wren is a guest. S one of Australia's leading researchers in gynaecological research and the author of a book called Understanding Menopause and Hormonal Therapy a Woman's Guide and uh he joins me in the studio tonight Barry good to see you.
Yeah good evening Tony.
Well uh let's start out at the beginning. The change the menopause what in fact is it.
Well it's it's basically only just a time when a woman runs out of her own hormonal uh um production from her ovaries . It begins around about the age of forty-five it's usually completed by the age of fifty-five. There's an average of about fifty-one years for women in Australia. And when it does those hormones which um influence the way cells will respond have just stopped being produced. And as a result of that women begin to deteriorate in certain areas. For some women it's uh disastrous and for other women they just as you said sail through without any problems  whatsoever.
I I suppose uh menopause is a little more poignant at the moment simply because a lot of women waiting longer in life  uh before they uh have babies.
Uh exactly so I mean I I saw a lady only today who's aged thirty-five and is just going through the menopause at this moment. Her mother went through the menopause at the age of forty and uh uh her sister also went through uh at the age of thirty-eight so this lady at the age of thirty-five is now just starting her perimenopausal phase. She will almost certainly be completely out of all hormones within the next year and uh she's going to have another fifty years of uh menopausal uh symptoms and problems if we don't do something about it.
Gee whiz. Uh I I suppose that's a huge shock to her was she planning children or.
Well it wasn't a shock because she expected something like this. Uh she's already had four children so that's  uh uh she she was quite expecting that she's a very intelligent lady with a university degree and so on and so she was not unaware of the problems and she came along to get some help from this stage onwards.
One of the first things we need to have a look at tonight I think is the study in the United States  it's been going for seven years and uh it was uh cancelled because of uh the the some recent findings in the last month. Uh a lotta people not thrilled to death with this study uh a lotta people also supporting it. Um can you can explain to us exactly what the seven year study's all about.
Yeah sh sure Tony there's actually two studies done by the same group it's the National Heart Blood and uh Lung Institute in the United States. Back in early nineteen-nineties they decided that because hormonal therapy appeared to be doing such a great job for women  and helping to prevent uh heart attacks uh osteoporosis uh quite a few other problems  that uh they should do woo call a prospective randomised blinded study. So they recruited women into this study and they were given two types of hormonal therapy they were given either oestrogen plus progestogen or they were given oestrogen alone. The women who had the oestrogen alone were women who had a hysterectomy and the women who were on the combined therapy uh were women who still had their uterus intact. There were sixteen-thousand-six-hundred in the women taking hormonal uh combined hormonal therapy  and about eleven-thousand in the study taking oestrogen alone. Two years ago they released the study results of the first one that's the sixteen-thousand-six-hundred women  and it suggested that women who were taking hormonal therapy at that stage had an increased risk of heart attacks stroke breast cancer but a decreased risk of osteoporosis. Just two years later they stopped the oestrogen alone arm of the study because uh there didn't appear to be any major benefit and there was a slight increase in the risk of stroke. And they didn't cancel it they just said that it didn't appear after seven years to be any major advantage of carrying the study on any further . But there was no increased risk of uh heart attacks there was no increased risk of cancer in that group. So the big thing was why were all these studies showing some adverse results  and why were there differences between the two studies. Well when you look at the two studies there are some major flaws with the way they were structured. Most women in Australia going through the menopause are between forty-five and fifty-five years of age  and that's when they start getting their symptoms and they require some hormonal therapy. The studies in the United States recruited women who were somewhere between fifty and eighty years of age never having taken hormonal therapy beforehand. The .
So wuh when you say hormonal therapy that's even the pill.
Even the pill yeah.
Okay.
Most of these women uh had uh no symptoms whatsoever no hot flushes no sweats and that was deliberately chosen because they didn't want women  to enter the study with some hot flushes who would either go onto hormonal therapy and find out that they were um participated or not go onto the hormonal therapy go onto a placebo and still have all their symptoms. So all these women had to have no symptoms whatsoever when they entered the study. Their average age was sixty-three years  which was quite considerably almost fifteen years older than the menopause. When we look at their uh demography we find that um most of them were very very overweight and matter of fact over a third of them were regarded as being obese. Thirty-seven percent were being treated for high blood pressure and other cardiac problems. Twelve and a half percent were being treated for high cholesterol levels. Four and a half percent were diabetic. Um there are fifty percent of them were smokers or ex smokers. Now all these factors increase the risk of cardiac disease so you take this group of uh women who had no symptoms with a high risk of having a cardiac disease and give them a an oestrogen by mouth. Uh you might get a slight increase in heart attacks and stroke and that's exactly what they found. It was not surprising and we feel it is .
So you f believe it was a self fulfilling prophecy almost.
Virtually so it was a flawed suh it was a good study I must say uh a a very well conducted study but on the wrong group of people. Uh here in Australia most of the women are not in that particular category they're not that old they don't have those underlying conditions.
Mm. Well uh f uh we'll start up with the pluses um uh mm perhaps you can describe what an average woman who was starting to go through the change would receive. Um as a treatment and what the benefits  of that was.
W we've already said that the majority women going through the menopause will get hot flushes and sweats and they will have a dry vagina there will be an increase in uh osteoporotic changes. If they take hormonal therapy from the time of their menopause the beginning of all these symptoms then we can be sure they will have relief of those symptoms their vagina will remain moist and the risk of getting osteoporosis will be reduced considerably . The a large group of studies something like about a hundred and twenty that I've looked at which have been carried over the last forty years show that women who take hormonal therapy  from the time of the menopause without any underlying problems have a reduced risk of heart attacks and a reduced risk of uh some of the other major cardiovascular events. And uh this is something which is not shown up in this particular study this study suggest it's adverse . Which is un.
But you think it's a positive.
I think it's a positive yes I think it could be made a positive but women have to be very careful about. Obviously if a woman comes into my rooms at any stage at all who has some condition which would suggest that she may have an underlying uh heart attack or problems there I would be very very chary about giving her some hormonal therapy and if she wanted hormonal therapy I would probably give it through the skin or some other means  rather than through the gut and the mouth and the liver.
Mm now um th they're the some of the positives negatives.
Negatives hormonal therapy if it's given in an inappropriate way can produce uh things like bloating it can produce some breakthrough bleeding if the uterus is still present. Can produce some breast discomfort that's mastalgia because of the changes to the breast  um they're the basic things which most women will have as an adverse effect and there are some local things uh sometimes taking it by mouth will produce some nausea uh a few problems like that. If you take it through the skin it'll produce some skin irritation. Are suh uh some adverse change but we can always readjust those hitches to suit each particular patient.
Mm I suppose where we are moving into areas where we're we're not certain and that is the length of uh treatment for hormone replacement therapy  uh because it's a relatively new therapy um I suppose we're we're s stepping off the cliff cliff to a degree.
Oh uh can I correct you on this Tony it's not relatively new it started in nineteen-thirty-two so it's over seventy years of use of hormonal replacement therapy now. We have a lot of experience with it's use  and um there are now very long m major studies where women have been taking well over thirty years and have a very good outcome from that uh period of time. Matter of fact back in July of two-thousand-and-two when all this  first of the uh major negative studies came out my phone rang hot from patients ringing in  and one patient rang in I just couldn't remember her her history very well but I asked her how long she'd been taking therapy. And she said thirty-six years and I said how do you feel she said great I'm the semi finals of the club championship but I wanna keep on going . Now y'know th ah that's one swallow doesn't make a summer but the big thing is that women can take it while ever they wish to. They need to be monitored the whole time though.
Mm okay so I mean what six monthly or yearly or.
I generally see a patient every year when she's on hormonal therapy I probably see her twice in the first year when she starts on treatment to make sure everything's fine. But after that once every year from that point onwards.
Mm breast cancer is that an issue.
Yes breast cancer is there's there's no doubt that um women who have breast cancer uh l let me just sort of uh go back one step. It takes a long time for a single cell which has undergone an a series in mutations to eventually grow into a mass that we can actually see or feel. Some people have estimated it may take up fifteen years. If a woman is taking hormonal therapy whilst that uh cancer is growing it'll grow faster and it will show up earlier. This may be a negative or it may be a positive for her  but there's no doubt that women who have cancer probably shouldn't be taking oestrogen.
Mm it is a matter of fact that as women grow older the percentage of women likely to get breast cancer increases.
Oh yes it's an age related disease. At the age of fifty there's about one in a hundred women will have breast cancer and it doubles itself virtually every decade from there on so at the age of ninety it's around about fifteen per hundred women will be found to have breast cancer. So it just keeps on increasing every decade.
Mm is there any connection between breast cancer and hormone replacement therapy.
Well yeah there is I mean um men get breast cancer at about wuh only one uh man for every hundred women so it's a basically it's a female dominated uh type cancer but that relates to the number of times that the cells are multiplying in what are relatively large breasts compared to a male's breast. So we have a a problem of size and the number of cells which are present  but cancer is a series of mutations and the they're a sporadic spontaneous and sequential mutations which take place within cells anywhere in our body including the breast and hormones increase the rate that those cells are undergoing mutations but don't cause the mutations.
Mm Barry when uh when you're seeking advice on menopause should you consult your local G P or should you find yourself a specialist in hormone therapy.
Oh I think the majority of G Ps are fairly well uh aware of the menopause itself. What worries the general practitioner at present is the fear of making a mistake . Of not doing the right thing.
Can be very expensive these days.
Right yeah it's a it's a terrible thought and the majority or general practitioners are fighting shy of it right now because of all the publicity. The majority of general practitioners don't get a chance to read all the uh fine detail which I have to spend time reading or some of my colleagues have to spend time reading. So they're not always up to date with all the information but rather than give a negative point of view to a patient they'll give s often no point of view at all they wih they will often say to the patient don't take it uh and it's a negative one without knowing all the facts.
Alternative therapies uh I mean how do you feel about them and uh I I know you were saying during the news that you wouldn't personally uh prescribe that for anyone. Ah but you you don't feel opposed to to .
No I I have no opposition to um alternative therapies uh because most of them uh wuh all the research which has been done on them show that they don't have any major effect whatsoever. However if a patient or a doctor believes that they're going to help them  uh from a e m a from a placebo point of view they can be very very helpful they can have people believe that they're helping and that's very good and if people believe in something I think that's there's a great help to that. What distresses me is that sometimes people take them for the wrong reason uh with the wrong expectation. Uh obviously um most of these alternative therapies will not help things like osteoporosis or prevent a heart attack or  do something like that but they won't cause breast cancer and they won't cause some of the other diseases which may be um associated with hormonal therapy.
Mm menopause is uh as we've said earlier a difficult time for the person going through it but it can also be quite a difficult time for partners and for uh for friends as well.
Oh yes.
Um is there anything people can do to uh sort of ease ease that particular time because uh y'know obviously um a person going through this period ih thi they are a bit racked and uh and uh can pass on that uh  unpleasantness to others.
You you're right I mean but knowledge is power knowledge is everything so I believe that both men and women partners uh people who have any experience their children  should all try and learn as much as they can about the problems associated with the menopause so they can help uh the person who's suffering from the problems understand it or take care of them or advise them in some way. And in a way I mean I'm not trying to uh say go and buy my book but uh what I'm trying to say in my the book which I've just written. I'm trying to give information to women and anybody else who cares to read it exactly what is happening what it all means and I think it's important to gain that insight and that information.
Mm I mean would it benefit some women to get some psychological help sometimes if they if they feel that they've been impacted greatly by the by the change.
I I think that um the menopause doesn't produce psychiatric disturbance let me say that  uh m changes to a person's body can accentuate an underlying problem. Now if the woman uh who in question does have an underlying psychiatric problem which is accentuated then it may help her to see some psychological or psychiatric help but basically  it's in the hands of the general practitioner who looks at the total picture sees the patient and tries to decide exactly what areas of help are needed for that particular patient.
Mm how much fine tuning goes on with the uh y'know getting it right for the patient so that uh obviously you c you can't uh y'know uh one cap fit fits all uh y'know you you require some s s some tinkering at the edges.
Yeah it's uh look it's very important. I give every patient something like uh about half an hour to an hour to try and find out what uh what the patient feels like what's bothering them and so on like that. And in trying to decide on the type of therapy I take into account their background their physical ah situation other things which may be affecting them. In the hope that in some way uh I can get the therapy regimen right for them. Uh and a lotta doctors do exactly the same but time is the big constraint for this and when you're trying to decide on um a type of treatment sometimes it's much easier for a doctor just to pluck something off the shelf and if that doesn't work say ah well it's not going to work. That's an unfortunate way of doing it . But I always believe in getting a second opinion for all these issues.
Yeah so quite often uh the first treatment won't be the last treatment.
It's uh sometimes I've changed my treatment I was looking at a patient I saw today who's been with me for over twenty years and we've changed her treatment six times during that particular twenty years but each time things have got better for her and she's been reasonably happy at this stage.
Mm  uh the book is called Understanding Menopause and Hormonal Therapy A woman's guide Dr Barry Wren is my guest tonight. I'm just wondering whether uh you've got some questions that you would like to put um it it is a very difficult uh area and um I I guess a lotta people don't fully understand exactly w what they're getting s themselves in for when it does happen. Uh and uh perhaps uh you as uh as a husband or friend would also like to ask a question maybe you're going through a difficult time as your partner  is uh is taking on the challenge of the change.
It's the NightLife on one-oh-five point seven Territory Radio and Darwin's weather showers and storms a top of twenty-nine degrees. For the Alice fine mostly sunny maximum thirty-five degrees. Taking calls now for the challenge on one-eight-hundred-eight-hundred-seven-oh-two-one-eight-hundred-eight-hundred-seven-oh-two give us a call right now you can win Yvonne Kenny's new C D The Sally Gardens A treasury of engli English song plus Love and Death in Kathmandu from Amy Willesee and Mark Whittaker. You've gotta be in it to win it.
And it is now twenty-two minutes to the latest A B C news Dr Barry Wren my guest tonight uh we're talking about his book Understanding Menopause and Hormonal Therapy and uh a second edition just out the first one sold through which is good news for you . Um l I think at this stage we might uh talk to a few people about some of these issues. Uh Carol you you took H R T for ten years.
Yes Tony it's lovely to talk to you.
Thanks Carol.
I haven't got through to you before .
Welcome uh y y you wanted to talk about why you decided to stop.
Yes um I was taking Premarin and Provera Dr Wren for for ten years I started in my late forties and um I had uh a very good um gynaecologist who used to see me every six months and uh and monitored me quite closely. But um I decided that uh when this survey came out that I would stop and my G P said I think maybe you've taken it long enough and uh the doctor I was going to retired and I had to go to another doctor and he said the survey was a lot of hooey and that it wouldn't bah matter if I went back on it but I decided not to  but since then I've had hot flushes which are just dreadful but um that's the only thing and so my doctor put me onto patches and I started having terrible periods again so I went off the patches and I didn't have any breakthrough bleeding when I was on the others well hormone replacement therapy. I just wondered what you thought about um um this situation I I have felt that maybe I was on it long enough.
Carol it's very difficult to uh say y you  should or shouldn't be on it at all you're the person who's in charge of your own life.
Yes true.
And um I believe that women take hormonal therapy really to improve the quality of their life . Y'know your life appears not to be as good as it should be and it could be that if you took the appropriate hormonal therapy you'd be fine . Now the patches appear not to have done the job for you  but I can assure you there are many other types of therapies  which you could try  you could even go back onto the Premarin and Provera and you'd probably do just as well on that.
Really.
I wouldn't have any hesitation in saying that if your quality of life is diminished then probably you should be back onto it.
Mm.
Mm.
But but how long do you keep on taking these.
Well it's a very personal thing you see I have some patients who've tried stopping it at the age of seventy and or even as l late as eighty  and their problems all come back  and just feel dreadful and they go back onto it . But they've been on it for twenty to thirty years .
I was shocked that I would start to have these symptoms I thought I'll be over it all by then .
Yeah I know a lotta people think that it's only a temporary thing.
Yes.
Um twenty percent of women go through the menopause and never have a hot flush or a problem at all . Uh eighty percent do have some problems but as the years go by that diminishes  but at the age of eighty-five  uh twenty percent of women still have all those problems  .
Something to look forward to Carol.
Thanks very much.
No problem whatsoever thanks . Uh Helen um y you're sixty-six and uh.
Yeah I'm still having hot flushes  um I just wondered how long does it go on for    taken hormone replacement therapy  and I've got these dreadful hot flushes when does it end.
Well for you it may never end or it may diminish as time goes on  you can never tell now no one has any knowledge as to who will continue and who won't . Um I just say to women who are suffering as you are  to go onto hormonal therapy get under the uh care of a good doctor who will look after you and monitor the whole program for you  and uh just take care of yourself.
So there's no virtual like they say oh you're fifty you shouldn't be having this  something like that.
No  I wish it was like that and I keep on trying to remind people that there is no such thing as uh this is just going to last a few years .
Helen when when they said sixty is the new forty you see  unfortunately it has its complications  good on you thanks for that. Viv um you want to talk about the pill if you're already having uh ye osteoporosis.
Yeah thanks Tony yeah um I've already got osteoporosis I've had it since I was in my twenties and I'm not at menopause yet I'm forty-three now. But um I plan to go on H R T later on to stop any more osteoporosis later on. But I was wondering should I be on does the pill make any difference to bones.
No well the pill is really only just another form of hormonal therapy  it's a stronger uh type of therapy it contains uh similar to sorts of progestogens to the um hormonal therapy but the oestrogen that's used is a synthetic one called ethanol oestradiol and uh that's much more potent. But um uh it is  it's very similar in every other way but if you have osteoporosis now you may be better off going onto one of what we call the bisphosphonates they're a group of chemicals which  help uh build calcium into bone and make the bone a bit stronger.
Yes that's that's uh things like Fosamax isn't it.
That's right yes.
Well they wuh they won't allow premenopausal women on it unless they've already had a fracture. Uh and um.
Well they will let them on it  but the government won't give you the uh P B S uh rebate uh you have to pay the full price yourself  unfortunately. Don't go out and break a bone deliberately to get it. It's cheaper though.
No no I I do think that I should break my big toe but . Um could I also ask for older people my mother didn't start H R T until she was in her late sixties. And because I was afraid about her having osteoporosis and I suggested and then with the scare she went off it. Is there any danger in take taking it after the menopause is well and truly over or.
Oh no no I mean I've got women who come to me uh I had a lady who uh was widowed went through the menopause um everything was fine she didn't take anything at all till she turned sixty-eight and she developed a new relationship a sexual relationship and uh she found that the vagina was so dry she couldn't have intercourse and she started on hormonal therapy then and she's very happy  and her partner's very happy now mm.
Okay thank you very much.
Thanks Viv uh great to hear from you Joan uh uh you have a a a health issue here you've got uh superficial blood clots.
That's that's correct yes yeah I had a hysterectomy twelve months ago. I've been put on Premarin six point six-two-five and this is my second superficial blood clot I do have varicose veins would you advise me to continue um.
Uh I wouldn't give you anything by mouth. Um when uh oestrogen goes through the mouth and the gut it passes directly to the liver ninety percent of the uh oestrogen goes to the liver where it stimulates the liver cells to work better . And part of the production of the liver cells are the proteins which produce coagulation  so taking it by mouth tends to increase the risk of getting a coagulation whereas if you take it through the skin  it avoids that and you can have the benefit of the oestrogen without the stimulus to the liver at that point.
Oh I see okay so you uh through the skin and not through the mouth uh um and would should I go off the tablets while I have these uh superficial blood clots or.
Oh yes yes I mean you're I wouldn't take anything by mouth if you've got those uh . Mind you it's it's the deep venous thromboses which we're really concerned about if you've got some superficial thromboses you probably shouldn't take the tablets by mouth but you be d on a patch.
On the patch oh that's good okay thank you very much for that.
Thanks Joan great to hear from you uh Judy um you you want to talk about nonhormonal medications.
Yes um my G P prescribed a something called l Livial.
Livial yes that's a that's a  an interesting steroid compound.
I just sorta wondered what kind of y'know long term studies have or has been done or  has it not been around l long enough to have had um that much experience so .
Well it's been av uh available in U K for oh over fifteen years now so there's fair amount of a sort of background to it. In Australia it's been here for five or six years and uh we've also had reasonable experience with it. Um it's a steroid compound which has uh basically a progestogenic and an androgenic activity normally that's a male type of hormone but it can be converted by uh enzymes in your system into an oestrogen. And uh so it has a weak oestrogenic activity as well and it's quite good and we particularly uh recommend it for women who've got sore breasts and so on like that.
So it can more or less take the place of hormonal therapy if you don't want to go down that.
Well it yeah it is a form of hormonal therapy I mean we we  it's it's a steroid the same as uh oestrogen progesterone and tostesterone are steroids so it's got um a steroid activity but it's been chemically manufactured and it's not similar to the um uh it's it's one which you wouldn't extract in a human or you can't y get from a human it's gotta be manufactured.
Would you have the same possibilities of um the various medical risks  associated with the .
The one study which was done in the United Kingdom called the million women study suggested that the uh Livial actually increased the risk of uh breast cancer being diagnosed. Uh however there's a little bit of doubt shown uh or expressed about that million women study because of what we call a cohort study and there are a lot of sort of um problems with its actually sort of uh structure which uh we can't always be sure. We really need to do some uh double blind randomised studies with Livial to see whether it has an adverse effect on breast cancer.
Would you be happy enough to prescribe Livial to to your patients.
Oh I do indeed yes I have quite a number of patients on Livial and I have no real problems with its use. But I I must warn people that there is not that nothing's perfect in life and Livial may turn out to be uh as adverse as uh oestrogen is thought to be adverse on breast cancer. But at present I believe it's perfectly okay.
So for what kind of y'know term therapy could you sort of feel that you could safely prescribe it for like five years ten years.
At this stage uh again like uh women who um have um hor ordinary hormonal replacement therapy they should take it while ever they feel it is doing them some good with their quality of life. Uh doctors shouldn't be pontificating so you must stop it after five years the  patient must make up their own mind .
Studies have indicated .
Alright Judy thanks for the call great to hear from you Lynne uh you you've actually written a paper on this and and you've got a slightly different view.
Yes um my uh just briefly my own personal history was um  I'm in my mid fifties now but I started going through perimenopause uh at about the age of about thirty-seven-thirty-eight and uh ran into terrible problems unbelievable problems couldn't think straight hot flushes couldn't sleep ye the whole lot and uh the doctor put me on the usual uh Premarin and Provera. Which just made me violently ill even though it did solve the um menopause caused um problems that I was having  so I had to swap to um finally when it was a available I had to swap to the uh skin um absorbed uh oestrogen and progesterone uh and I used a natural oestrogen and a natural progesterone and uh I'll explain the reason for that because most of the problems that women have um with uh things like premenstrual tension endometriosis breast cancer fiboy fibroid tumours of the uterous  et cetera and menstrual flooding are caused by oestrogen dominance. And uh this is where the oestrogen does not balance with the progesterone that we have because a woman is getting too much oestrogen um by an intake of xenoestrogens or foreign oestrogens which the body accepts as oestrogen but they're toxic and they don't act as natural oestrogen and they get these xenoestrogens well they're all  throughout the environment they're in pesticides whence they enter the food chain all petrochemical products  they're in cosmetics detergents cleaning products there's uh a compound called nonylphenyl  as well as um plastics where they're absorbed to any food stored in 'em . So women are getting too much oestrogen and yet when they go on hormonal therapy the first thing the doctor does is give them more oestrogen.
Barry .
Well uh that's uh the s hypothesis you're putting forward is the one put out by John Lee . Um John Lee's an interesting man I think it's worth making a comment about him he unfortunately he died last October and I used to have a few arguments with John at various times. John was a ph  pharmacist and back in nineteen-seventy-four he attended a lecture by Ray Peat. Uh at which Ray Peat said it would be a good idea if we could give progesterone um by some means rather than the mouth because progesterone is broken down so rapidly in the gut and the liver. So he suggested that it would be reasonable to give that progesterone as a cream but no one had ever used it then so John Lee as being a pharmacist and then just being a general practitioner in seventy-four went back and developed his own progesterone cream. He then started a company called Avion Pharmaceutical Company uh to produce this progesterone cream and he spent the next uh thirty years of his life uh trying to promote the idea and he wrote most of the um points in little pamphlets about how good it was. When people began to criticise him because it didn't have any real scientific basis he then made up the story which you've just uh told us very nicely and um yeah of course it doesn't hold up because there's no scientific backing for it at all. We've done some of the studies and there's a huge number of uh people have done studies on this particular type of hypothesis of John Lee's. It's just shown to be uh bit of oh rubbish really doesn't hold any kind of water really and I feel sorry that you've been sort of misled by that uh hypothesis of John Lee's but uh it's it's not uh a scientifically valid uh proposition.
Alright Lynne thank thanks for raising it Edith um uh you wanna talk about alternative uh medication a and self medication.
Oh that's correct yes I've got three issues to bring up. Um first of all I'm forty-nine years old uh and I'm not obese I'm not a smoker um but I did have um an ovary removed when I was forty-two. Um I was extremely disappointed that the gynaecologist didn't discuss with me how this would affect my menopau uh menopause . Does ovary removal actually bring an early onset of menopause.
Yes did you have a just one ovary removed  or both.
Yep.
I'm sorry.
One.
Just  the one.
Yep.
The other one that should still I mean it's like removing a kidney um the other ovary will go on functioning until it runs out of its normal uh eggs and that's usually about the normal of um forty-five to fifty-five.
Yeah.
Uh have you uh started the menopause as yet.
Oh yes yeah.
You have yeah. It it coulda been produced by the um surgery uh obviously I mean you can ha have interference with uh the blood supply to the remaining ovary under these conditions that might have uh faded away a bit earlier that it woulda done under normal conditions.
Okay. Well the second issue I wanna bring up is um the issue of alternative therapy it actually does work um because I've refused to go on H R T so I've been experimenting for qu well ever since I've been forty-two  . Um but I have found that of course it's only short term and it may last for three or four months and then y'know you you look at then you have to look at self medicating. And that's another worry for me is is ha I'm on three alternative therapy medications now. Uh I don't know who to turn to to say yes that's too much or no y'know you shouldn't be doing that because I I don't know if there's much research on self medication  but I find it difficult there's no registry to say that there's specialists in menopause that look at both alternative therapies and H R T. But um y'know I don't have that choice and uh I find it difficult how do I ascertain what is what is the a a good level to to maintain alther alternative therapy.
Well uh there are two parts to it uh that you've explained uh and we've done a lot of work a lotta people have done some research on alternative therapies by the way um. The big thing is that we look at what is natural the previous uh caller um Lynne I think it was talked about natural oestrogen um possibly implying that the pharmaceutical companies don't use natural oestrogen well they do but um you produce from your ovary something called seventeen beta oestradiol . Which is very rapidly uh metabolised to uh something called oestrone which is much weaker than oestradiol  and then eventually it's metaboli that again is metabolised within probably two or three hours to oestriol which is the excretory product. Now um those things are found in every woman's body throughout her normal reproductive life when she goes through the menopause um the levels fall down she stops producing oestradiol but there is still some oestrone being produced and thats being produced by conversion of other products what we call precursors sometimes from the adrenal gland sometimes from other areas into oestrone and that's uh reasonably active uh throughout most women's lives but whether it's enough for your needs depends on so many different factors. Uh for the majority of women going through the menopause it's not enough and they need some top up.
Mm yeah well it certainly might be in my case uh since the hot flushes I can tolerate but it's the sleep deprivation   that uh causes the problems you you're waking up three-four times a night.
You you probably need to have your levels of uh oestradiol measured  and as the if there is sufficient oestradiol there it will act on your brain and the pituitary phos uh pituitary gland to um  uh reduce the level of follicular stimulating hormone and I use the level of follicular stimulating hormone and oestradiol as an indication as to whether the patient is getting sufficient oestrogen or not. Um and if you see somebody with some expertise in the area you will probably find that they will measure those and tell you whether you have got sufficient uh oestrogen in there to stop your hot flushes.
Thanks uh Edith uh Karen you you wanna talk about attitudes to this whole issue.
Well yes I do I've had I'm one of the alternate people and I've had fantastic results not only through my menopausal time but with other bodily problems through changing my diet 'n' going back to foods that don't come from a factory  and I h um haven't gone onto H R T I don't like the stories I've heard about the suffering of mares in the northern hemisphere to get the necessary oestrogen for H R T. Um.
Ye you're talking about Premarin there I think.
Look I don't know um which specific I'm talking about it's the horse stories that bother me so much but I also want to make two strong points it isn't menopause isn't necessarily something to be suffered and also it isn't just a hormonal and bodily change I've found incredible new wisdoms have come to me  about life through my menopausal years so it's not just a hormonal and bodily change it's far broader than that.
Oh you're quite right I mean  I don't want you to feel that um uh women have to have it or have t h suh h suffer any symptoms. Uh quite a large number of women have no problems whatsoever going through the menopause either  physically or mentally or uh uh emotionally in any way at all but others are affected and we should not e or nobody should say oh because I didn't have any problems then somebody else shouldn't have any either.
Mm Karen thank you very much for your thoughts uh Ruth um you you want a word about relationship between migraines and the menopause.
Yes thank you Tony. Um I've been suffering migraines for about twenty years I get about two a month always around the same time  and my doctor keeps telling me that when I go through menopause they'll go away. Um I'm forty-nine I'm just premenopausal I suppose although I'm still getting regular periods. I'm just wondering if I go onto H R T if I need to. What's gunna happen with my migraines.
Oh that's a very good question and uh thank you for asking it. The big thing to remember is that both men and women get migraines so it's  not just uh to do with hormones . However if hormones are a cause for uh migraine headaches it's usually because there is some triggering either a high level or a low level suddenly occurring . So women who are menstruating  normally of course the levels of hormones go up and down they  fluctuate  throughout the month and it's that fluctuation or rise and fall that so often triggers the migraine  headache . When you go through the menopause if your hormo if your migraines are produced by hormones taking a continual daily dosage should relieve that  particular problem. Or if the levels go right down and you've got no hormones at all present and there's no f triggering their either  they will probably disappear.
So w w perhaps then it would it even be it may prove helpful to go onto H R T just to for the migraines.
Oh it it is I mean I have a lot of patients who are in their twenties and thirties that I have treated and relieved I hah I don't cure anything but I relieve their menopausal symptoms and triggers by giving them uh various types of hormonal therapies which will give them no uh uh triggering uh f rise or fall.
Okay.
Alright Ruth thanks for the call uh we don't have time for another one uh we did have a a caller ring in saying can trauma bring on an early menopause.
Uh depends on the trauma if it's a trauma to the pelvis such as involving the uh ovaries or to the pituitary gland uh it may bring on a premature menopause but  uh trauma to the legs or the arm is unlikely to do something like that.
The book is called Understanding Menopause and Hormonal Therapy A woman's guide Dr Barry Wren is the author and uh it's out and about now through McGraw Hill. Uh Barry thanks very much for joining us tonight. Appreciate it.
Very great pleasure.
Good to see you. Uh we're gunna pause for news we're uh not far away from uh a chat with uh Matt Preston about the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival which is coming up a little later this week we're also in the next hour going to be talking about cruising  and uh Joseph Waddis will be joining me for a chat about that. You're listening in s to Tony Delroy's NightLife.
Yep. You call it jogging I call it running around that's Jimmy Buffett  and it is thirteen minutes past twelve thirteen past eleven in Queensland thirteen past nine in W A. Now um  what have we got. Yvonne Kenny's The Sally Gardens the Treasury of English Song it's new from A B C Classics the Love and Death in Kathmandu great book uh Australians Amy Willesee and Mark Whittaker have put that together uh Limelight and Delicious magazines as well for March. Categories tonight include famous women  uh cricket terms organisations nature and literature. So how do we deal with them apples. What do you reckon Wayne.
Um .
Okay we've got famous women cricket terms organisations nature literature.
I'll try cricket terms thanks.
Okey-dokes question one. Uh can you tell me what name was given to fast bowling directed straight at the batsman to intimidate him.
Uh bodyline.
Bodyline is correct question two uh what's a ball that pitches directly at the batsman's feet.
Uh yorker.
A yorker is correct question three uh what name's given to a non specialist batsman sent in to play out time.
Night watchman.
Night watchman's correct question four what is the stroke in cricket which hits the ball from the off side of the wicket to the on side.
Um  hook.
You got it. That's the hook question five and uh what name's given to an off break bowled by a left handed bowler to a right handed batsman.
Uh  uh.
Well I think we should be thinking oriental here.
Oh chinaman.
That's it. Chinaman. Um now you've dealt with those very well. Um s you've gotta change direction. The options you got are famous women organisations nature or literature.
Um.
Five from five Wayne well done.
I'll try uh nature then thanks Tone.
Nature question six. A dah dah dah just wondering what is n the name that's given for the dried kernels of coconut.
Uh.
What.
Copra.
Yep copra well done seven. Um I need to know what is the largest reptile on the planet.
Um uh saltwater crocodile.
You got it. It's the croc. Question eight uh eight from eight if you can tell me what is the more common name for the West Australian mahogany gum tree.
Oh the jarrah.
It is the jarrah. Nine coming up what is the female element of a flower called.
Uh  uh shee uh the bud.
Tt tt tt tt tt tt tt tt tt you did really well that's where it fell over though unfortunately sorry Wayne. Uh David from Mosman Park.
I thought we were gunna get twenty-five in a row .
He was red hot wasn't he Wayne from Queanbeyan well done good start. Um how're you travelling.
Not too bad it's nice cool weather. But you can still go swimming.
You still swimming.
Oh yeah.
Well done. Um.
I'm trying to build up my pecs .
I've given up on the abs I think I'd settle for though. I I've got I'm still doing the uh the uh gym at a at a fairly regular rate but  I dunno.
What stuff do you do.
Ah I d I sort of do weights. I do y'know weights for and a o on the sort of the weight machines and that sort of stuff and then I do thirty minutes of of jogging and walking and then I do the  cro cross train. Yeah and then the cross trainer twenty-five minutes.
I haven't been able to do thirty minutes of jogging since nineteen-seventy-five .
I I'm trying really hard at the moment. I I b ye I'm remarkable. You should uh matter of fact I I ran into an old mate of mine last last night and he said  didn't even recognise you . And I thought well yeah does happen.
It's those new contact lenses.
Exactly . Uh what is the female element of a flower called.
I think  is the male element called a stigma or something or.
Mm yeah  um but I'm looking for the female element  of a flower um I I could refer you to um tt tt an old uh May West expression relating to pockets .
A torch .
No.
Are you pleased to see her .
Yeah.
Are you pleased is that is that a chequebook you've got in your pocket  or are you just pleased to see me .
Well you know the expression but you haven't picked up the word yet . What's the female element of a flower called.
No I think I'll have to  Tony.
Ah David you piker. Uh Helen from Killara hi Helen.
Hi Tony how are you.
Not bad it's your birthday and I think I've given you a gift already.
I'm I'm so happy . Finally get on I've been listening to you for only about four years. Ever since my husband said you've gotta check this guy out.
Oh my God.
You turned me into an insomniac .
Oh dear. Sorry about that.
Anyway that's alright are we talking about um something beginning with P.
Yes.
Is that a pistol in your pocket.
Yeah that's the one it is a pistil  spelt slightly different obviously P I S T I L but pistil is what we're about . Well uh you've got lots of uh famous women uh you could identify some organisations for us there's literature or there's one nature question still left.
Oh look I'll try the nature one they're not my favourite categories tonight.
No that's a it's a  bit of a weird one but we're  uh Wayne started us off on the right foot.
He was amazing.
Good good start. What type of creature  is a mouflon.
Oh no a rooflon.
Mouflon.
Mouflon.
Now I will give you a clue in that it is  creature that is um found worldwide uh this particular creature  is found in Corsica. It's a a type of creature and this particular creature is found in Corsica but it's the the creature itself is found worldwide.
Well my brains te  uh brains trust is fast asleep but I don't think he would have known this one.
Mm. Well.
Um Corsica.
I I can suggest to you that there are breeds in Australia. Of this creature.
Gosh.
Not mouflon but uh.
Oh look I I'll say bird but probably not.
No sorry happy birthday anyhow Graham from Mildura hi Graham.
Is it a cow.
A cow no it's not a cow  hi Sue. Sue from Ocean Reef with us now hi Sue.
Yes hi Tony this is my first time on.
Oh well I'll  I b I better give you a little bit of extra help then wah a type of creature that is a mouflon. And uh we've said it's uh fow there there are breeds of it here in Australia. And uh there are lots of this particular creature in New Zealand.
Does it start with a B Tony.
No it doesn't start with a B.
Doesn't start with a B.
L loh lots of them.
Um  guess then um would it be like a little mouse.
Mm no it's not a uh not a mouse sorry Jennifer from Cleveland hi Jennifer.
Hello my first time on too.
Oh  good news. Um mouflon.
I think it's a sort of sheep.
It is a sheep it's a it's a wild sheep of Corsica and uh there are a few in New Zealand . Eleven uh your choice it's down to organisations literature or famous women.
Oh I knew all the cricket I think I'll try famous women.
Okay. This first one I think's alright. Um need to know who was Australia's first member of the house of representatives.
Oh.
Now I can give you a l nudge here by saying that um her husband was also.
Oh Tasmanian.
Uh yes.
um is it Reed. No.
Oh no it's not Reed sorry about that wrong one. You went the wrong way Greg from Sydney g'day Greg.
How you going Tony.
Good mate eleven we're at uh who was Australia's first woman member of the house of reps.
Dame Edith  Lyons
Yep dame Enid  Enid Lyons is correct.
Enid Enid Lyons.
Enid. Question twelve um famous women. Uh we could do organisations or literature.
Um  could I do um organisations please.
Organisations yeah can do twelve. Uh what formerly banned organisation is now the majority party in South Africa ruling coalition. I'll e say that one more time a little slowly which formerly banned organisation is now the majority party in South Africa's ruling coalition.
Oh dear. It's the mob that um Nelson Mandela was.
That's exactly it.
Well it  it's not it's not the clue free zone yet so mate can I ask for a clue please.
Yes it's a three word title and the first one is African.
Oh no.
If you can provide the second two we move on.
Three words in the title. Formerly banned organisation now the majority party in South Africa's ruling coalition. I share your frustration Greg . I can hear the oohs and ahs from here.
Well yeah when when he was in prison whe when they were trying to get him out and and y'know they were. This organisation was being given a lot of lot of support.
That's right.
I dih.
Robin Island he was there for twenty-seven years.
No mate I I lee I let it go but thank thanks very much.
That's okay Greg. Yeah sometimes it just evades you even though you know it. Kevin from Brisbane hi Kevin.
Hi Tony.
Uh any thoughts about the formerly banned organisation now the majority party in South Africa's ruling coalition.
African National conferen .
That's it uh the a African National Congress thirteen. Uh organisations.
Yep.
Literature.
Organisations.
Thirteen. What is the militant separatist organisation which fights for the independence of the Basque country from Spain.
ETA.
It's really strange that that's uh was actually written uh last week before the bombings so uh it's uh just a strange coincidence.
Yeah.
Yes E T A the ETA the Basque Fatherland and Freedom Party. Fourteen um tt what is the most important powerful and prominent of the Israeli intelligence agencies.
Um.
Kevin from Brisbane.
I was gunna say Mossad right away.
That'll do.
Okay.
It is Mossad. Fifteen um little harder what was the name of the extremist left wing terrorist group active in Germany in the late sixties.
Um  um tt uh God not Mein Kampf um.
Yeah you're on the right track.
Yeah um.
It was a gang.
Yeah. Uh no clues.
Mm not supposed to.
B Baader-Meinhof.
You got it Baader-Meinhof gang. Sixteen uh I think you'll know this one what is the name of the organisation founded in nineteen-sixty-one that campaigns for the release of prisoners of conscience.
Amnesty International.
Amnesty Internation is correct seventeen. Famous women literature.
Women please.
Women yes this is a an old lady. Seventeen uh who was the queen of the British tribe Iceni Who took on the might of the Roman Army.
Boadicea.
Boadicea is correct. Eighteen  Kevin need to know who was the Australian nurse who researched and developed a treatment for infantile paralysis. Sorry I'm.
Bye-bye.
Kevin obviously with a slightly American accent I knew he was gunna gunna struggle with that one. Glenys from Hopper's Crossing  g'day h Glenys.
Hi.
Hi  um eighteen will you who was the Australian nurse who researched and developed a treatment for infantile paralysis . Sister who.
Yes it's one of those I know.
Yes it was uh social studies year four I think that we had her in the in the book.
Mhm.
Australian nurse. Developed a treatment for infantile paralysis. Any thoughts about the possibilities.
Oh.
You do you have any options that .
Thinking thinking thinking is it um Elizabeth Kenny.
Yes it is sister Elizabeth Kenny . Nineteen well done  uh famous women and literature they're your options.
I think I'll keep on the women.
Mhm nineteen  uh which famous woman won the Nobel Peace Prize in nineteen-seventy-nine.
Ah guess I can't ask what for can I .
Yeah for peace .
Uh.
Um and what year.
Nineteen-seventy-nine. Who won the Nobel Peace Prize in nineteen-seventy-nine. Haven't been that many women who've won it so it's a very limited subset.
Was it  ah hang on. Was going to say Marie Curie.
Mm no she was long dead by then.
It was a long long time earlier. Tt what.
Nineteen-seventy-nine Nobel Peace Prize. I thought it was a bit later than that myself but it's a mm. I bow to lash .
Yes yes always bow to lash and and I'm bowing to brains trust that's not working.
Oh damn. Well um  a prominent woman that might have won the Novel Peace Prize.
In nineteen.
Seventy-nine.
Seventy-nine I'm just frantically  what can I waffle on about to give me time  I can't. Um  dah dah dah I'm gunna hear that horrible .
Yeah I I can't.
Burmese.
Sorry.
She wasn't Burmese.
I can't tell you that.
Oh okay mm well I suppose I  . Was it .
Have a guess it's worth a guess.
Uh Golda Meir.
Oh not Golda Meir but thank you for trying uh June from Hobart hi June.
I haven't got a clue either and it's my first time on.
Ooh I'd love to be giving you a clue  but at nineteen I think they will they'd be tearing me limb from limb  Uh.
I've been trying for months to get on.
Oh I'm sorry . Well it's not Golda Meir but I I mean there haven't been that many who've even been a possibility I mean there there's been a handful of women who've won this.
Yes that's what I w I was thinking of her as well. I ca  I can't think of anybody else.
Oh I can think of one .
Oh gee.
It's the peace prize angle that is the.
Oh peace prize now who.
Somebody who was out there.
She wasn't Indian by any chance was she.
Not Indian no.
Ah .
Who were you thinking of.
Oh was it um what's her name Nehru's daughter. What's her name.
Oh yes Mrs Gandhi.
Gandhi yes  mhm.
Yes no no no.
No.
That's uh strangely it it June  you're   you're you're targ  you're  you're you're targeting the area quite well June but uh you  you went the wrong way I think.
No I can't think of anybody else .
Oh damn I'm sorry. Not to be Betty Betty from Mornington might be the answer here.
Ah Tony I'm I'm pretty sure it's the lady from Burma but I just can't think of her name.
Tt damn and blast.
Sorry.
Sorry about that. Tt Jeremiah
G'day mate how are you . Na nineteen it is.
I I I'm wondering whether it's you talk about the area whether it's  the uh Burmese woman or Mrs Gandhi but I wuh wuh I think it's um  oh the I don't know if she's old enough but I think she's the uh the woman from the woman who's from Burma. Her name was An An Win Wa .
A Aung San Suu Kyi.
Yeah.
Yeah no nice guess not correct uh Michael from the Blue Mountains g'day Michael.
How are you Tony.
Yeah seventy-nine would make it uh too early for Aung San Suu Kyi.
before I bomb out I think I'll say hello again to darling Glenda and why is she still awake at this hour of the night . Um was it Mother Teresa.
Yes.
Ah.
Was Mother Teresa of Calcutta who of course uh was originally from uh  Yugoslavia wasn't she I think she was born in either Yugoslavia or Albania or something like that. Anyway um yeah right  June was in the right section of the world but the wrong area of uh of interest. Question twenty famous women we have one uh literature we have five.
mm yes.
Strangely it doesn't really matter because uh the famous women is in area of literature.
Oh really. Yeah don't lose hope those still waiting on.
Mm .
Uh  oh well well okay let's finish off the famous women.
Okay the question is who wrote The Good Earth. Very famous book I did that at school.
I have absolutely no idea.
You obviously didn't go in to my school .
Was it Enid Blyton.
Oh thanks thanks very much Michael appreciate that. Ken from Mt Pleasant.
How are you Tony.
Not bad mate.
Uh before I go on just say hello to John and June and also to uh uh John and Amy.
Yeah.
Yep. Last week you had a question regarding the film The Robe do you remember that.
I do.
Well my wife and I saw that on our  uh eighth of May nineteen-fifty-five which was our first wedding anniversary  and also her twenty-first birthday.
In beautiful cinemascope.
That's right .
Okay isn't that beautiful.
Now The Good Earth now.
Yep.
Um.
One of those books that was talked about a lot in the nineteen-sixties.
And it's still on famous women isn't it.
Yes and it ih it in fact it's a female author obviously.
Um  w how famous is she pretty famous.
Oh yes. Well mm I I ha mm this ih this is the f this is the book that made her.
Oh yeah. Um no I don't think it was Colleen McCullough but um.
No  no noh ih not Australian either um uh Jim from Fitzroy.
Oh good evening Tony.
Hello there The Good Earth ring bells.
It doesn't so I'm uh and I obviously didn't go to your school Tony.
Sorry about that .
Um. Look I'll just pick one of the  women you said its Australian.
No I didn't say that.
Oh oh okay um. Well nevertheless I'll pick an Australian person Ruth Park.
Mm no but thank for trying. Uh Debbie from  tah Tahara.
Yep.
Debbie where's Tahara.
Uh down near Hamilton.
Oh okay no got it now . Um tt the uh person who wrote The Good Earth.
I wouldn't have a clue.
Oh damn.
Alright thank you.
You you should've gone to my school as well . Frank from Maddington g'day Frank.
How you going.
Good. Any idea about the author of The Good Earth.
Yeah no I've been trying to think about it .
Do do you remember the book it was it was really prop  uh it was really prominent in the sixties eherh it was one of those ones everyone  was reading but uh.
That in the sixties everyone was reading.
Yeah. Female author obviously.
Female author. Anne Deveson.
No no no can't do that. Sonia from Coburg.
Well Tony no first time on for me but no idea.
The Good Earth no lih little early for you that's okay thanks for trying Sean from Ballarat.
Yeah g'day mate how are you.
Not bad any ideas.
Uh no not much I just wouldn't mind saying g'day to the boys down at original races actually but uh no gotta bomb out mate.
Can do no prob. Um Anne from Caulfield.
Hi um  I think I remember a was it a Chinese book.
Yes.
Well everyone else in the class read it bar me but I think it was Pearl S Buck
That's exactly it. Was Pearl Buck well done who wrote The Good Earth. Now we'll get some more literature.
Oh good .
This one's a a a bit testing twenty-one. I can only just I can remember the book but I I c  don't think I could remember the author. You may do better. Twenty-one which American novelist wrote Tobacco Road. My grandma had a copy of it it was  very dog eared. Which American novelist wrote Tobacco Road.
Um look I'm sure it's wrong but I'll just suggest John Steinbeck.
Mm no it's not Steinbeck sorry uh Lesley from Glenmore Park.
Oh hello Tony you don't sound at all well tonight.
I look I'm not unwell I just sound unwell um it's it's it's one of those things uh I have um I've been s sort of taking the tablets and soldiering on but  um it's uh uh partly self inflicted I think I had a I had a late last night which sorta didn't help my uh my condition as they say.
Pay the consequences .
Oh absolutely but uh I I've this brewing for since probably buh I think people started to detect it on Thursday I was sort of a bit sniffly and then Friday it was mm and uh so I've probably got about least another two days of this uh but it hopefully it'll starts to lift.
Yeah well I hope your voice stays .
Yeah no I uh I was bit rough uh the the first few words this morning were a little bit vuhvuhruh  but it's got a bit better since then. Uh an American novelist I've gotta say I I couldn't remember this if if you paid me but um the American novelist who wrote Tobacco Road I'll give you a help the initials are E C.
E C.
It's a hard question.
The only thing I remember of Tobacco Road is the song .
Yeah no the  Nashville Teens I think had the had the hit . Oh but y'know mm I don't blame you  um Ron from Orange hi Ron.
G'day Tony how are you mate.
Good mate any thoughts about Tobacco Road the author.
Uh just before I have a go at that  I'm not quite sure uh I'd care to dispute an answer given late last week um the last um question on the quiz about horses. The question was what strap holds a pack saddle onto a horse  and the   said surcingle and you agreed and I'd bet big money it's a girth.
Yeah well look I I I genuinely Ron I c I couldn't argue with you I mean if you if you say it's a girth it uh it possibly is but I I um.
Surcingle a surcingle is the outer strap and it's more or less a safety strap in case the girth gives.
Yeah I I'm noh look. I'm not an expert in that area I I d I don't know horses uh at all so um  y'know I I'll bow to your experience I I'm just I I I I can only go on what sh what uh madam lash gives me  and sh that's what she had and um so if it uh I don't think we  uh did anybody any damage through it though but um if we did sorry. Uh well the American novelist uh who wrote Tobacco Road.
I really can't answer I was thinking F Scott Fitzgerald till you said E C.
E C no no no not F Scott uh can't do any business there Sue from Concord.
Hello there Tony.
Hello amer American novelist Tobacco Road.
Well I was thinking might be Erskine Caldwell.
It was. Erskine Caldwell. Well done twenty-two.
I think I'll choose literature.
Good move  what is the name of the horse given to Gandalf by King Theoden in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
Oh  well I can ask my brains trust what is the name of the horse given to Gandalf  in.
By King Theoden in  in.
By King Theoden in Lord of the Rings.
Yep.
Before we answer that.
Uh before we answer that can we say  girths and the ssurserng  are the  hang on my horsey person brains trust will tell you but can I just say hello to Peewee P T chal  Chalice and the Burwood Drummoyne Family History Group .
Grief.
Yes.
It's getting longer and longer.
Hello.
Hello.
I used to put saddles on horses when I was  a child  and the girth is the strap that goes it's attached on one side to the saddle and goes underneath and  is attached on the other side to the saddle so it holds the saddle on and a surcingle goes completely around the horse and goes through a slot in the saddle on one side over the top of the saddle and down through another slot in the saddle so both a girth and a surcingle are the correct answers and I think surcingle  as it was worded in the question I think surcingle was the correct .
Yeah no I I thi I think it was worded specifically so that it indicated that it uh it held a number of things in place so  yeah so.
Girth is actually attached to the saddle the surcingle is a separate strap but it goes through slots in the saddle to hold the saddle on . And I think we're not gunna get anywhere with The Lord of the Rings and uh I think we pass it on to to others.
Good on you Mary thanks for that uh Gerrard from Geelong.
Evening Tony.
Evening mate uh the na .
That was a little discussion.
Yes indeed mate you're a horse fan this this shouldn't be a problem.
I love the horses that race Tony.
Uh right well this one's fast. What is the name of the horse given to Gandalf by King Theoden in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
Yeah Tony it's Shadowfax.
It is Shadowfax. Well done twenty-three uh how'd you go on the weekend.
Uh well I went down to a country race meeting Tony which was rather lovely in southern Victoria Toorang and uh it was uh very enjoyable.
I I had two bets one which ran like a dromedary. Uh  the uh that is uh Sweet Corn. Suh someone  some somebody gave me a tip for that and said ab absolutely past the post certainty.
It might've been me .
Puh I think the phrase was put your life on it.
Yeah it wasn't me Tony.
And I sort of thought oh fabulous. And uh so when that lost I thought I didn't have a great deal of confidence in the other tip but fortunately the other one won so.
Tony we have a  little filly going up to Sydney uh for the for the um golden slipper called Alinghi and uh it's a marvellous name it's named after the s uh the um Swiss  the Swiss boat that won the Americas cup.
Mm  and it's and it's uh it's had a fair bit of good form has it not.
Oh it's unbeaten Tony.
Yes yes.
It will take will take.
And he and will be a short prize favourite.
And Damon Oliver'll ride it will take your  up the hill we'll  we'll see who's stronger .
Ah look uh uh I d uh e uh Gerrard I don't think there's any doubt . I'll just leave that I'll just leave that dangling I think  twenty-three what what is the name of the heroine in Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Yeah Tony I know Holly Golightly.
That's it Holly Golightly twenty-four tt. Book from uh just a few years ago we're asking who wrote Men are from Mars Women are from Venus . They made an absolute stack out of it.
Pardon.
Dr John Gray.
Dr John Gray I'm told.
Uh tell you what hang onto that trust . Well done Chris.
That that's Chris of course.
I know I know I know I know.
He's a .
Yeah he's a genius twenty-five I need to know what is the name of the novel by Jung Chang that tells the story of twentieth century China through the eyes of grandmother mother and daughter. Tt huge hit from a few years back . What's the name of the novel by Jung Chang that tells  the story of twentieth  century China through the lives of grandmother mother daughter.
Yeah I think it was a film. Um oh wow Tony I'm not poh gee me mate doesn't know  I don't know. Um well what do you think mate.
Tony we're struggling here  um. Could we have the question again please.
Sure wha what is the name of the novel by Jung Chang that tells the story of twentieth century China through the lives of grandmother mother and daughter.
Yeah um oh God. We're not we're not coming on with it. It's it yeah I know look I know it I can't. Tony I'm not gunna waste time here . I either know it or I don't know it and I can't pick it tonight.
Doesn't come to mind thanks Gerrard. Keira from Ocean Grove.
Hello Tony.
Keira this is an opportunity.
It is isn't it.
Mm.
I think it might be the Wild Swans.
I'm certain it is  Wild Swans congratulations.
Thank you.
You've got Yvonne Kenny's C D the The Sally Gardens which is uh lovely you've got uh a good story here Love and Death in Kathmandu that's th that's all that uh uh goings on in the in the uh in the palace over there uh where y'know everybody got killed 'n' uh  uh uh something that was akin to a uh uh an episode of Dynasty. Uh also Limelight magazine and Delicious magazine and our very very best.
Mm thank you.
Congratulations hang in there we'll get your details.
Okay ta.
Keira Keira from Ocean Grove is the winner and uh yeah Wild Swans was the uh Jung Chang novel  about uh twentieth century China through the lives of  grandmother mother and daughter.
I was astounded today by the comment of a good friend who said that she hates getting the train to work now. Because she fears trains could be a terrorist target. I guess what shocked me was that someone who I've always considered being intelligent and of sound judgement is now scared to perform a simple everyday task like commuting to work. Tt makes you wonder to what extent we're all frightened and that we might be at the centre of the next terrorist attack. Obviously the latest bombings in Madrid have focused us on the on the potential  for such a horrific thing to occur in our own back yard  and news reports say that uh a video tape received by the Spanish government claimed that the Al Qaeda terrorist network was responsible for the bombings which last week killed two hundred and injured many many more. The attack was reportedly a payback for Spain's cooperation with the United States over Iraq. So where does that leave us so I guess even the Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Kelty uh appears to have contradicted a key government message by claiming  Australia's decision to commit troops to Iraq has possibly increased the risk of Australia becoming a terrorist target. Now that does make me feel a little nervous but prime minister Howard is sticking to the key message saying there's no direct link between the Madrid bombings and Australia. He says all western countries are in fact potential terrorist targets. Australia is now in the process of analysing its own antiterrorist laws but can any amount of police protection guarantee the safety of a nation's citizen. I think not uh even Mr Howard acknowledges  that life must go on and that governments are limited in what they can do. He says the idea that you can guard every movement of every person on every railway station in every part of Australia is lunatic. It's unrealistic. So w  how safe do you feel. I mean is your life affected by the threat of terrorism. It's our issue tonight the threat of terrorism here on our shores like to have your thoughts.
The next issue is how far do we go to try and ensure our safety. Should our authorities be given broader powers. Something that New South Wales is certainly having a look at uh the Herald is reporting tomorrow  that uh the security laws that have been put in place already will be reviewed to see if they need to be toughened. Because uh  the meeting that took place in Sydney indicated that um Sydney could be a major target. Tt following the attacks in Madrid prime minister Howard ordered a national meeting of transport security chiefs. That was uh that's coincided with the start of this five day annual security conference in Sydney in which the police chiefs from all the states 'n' t all the territories along with uh some of their counterparts from Asia will look at how Australia and its near neighbours can actually better counter this terrorism threat. New South Wales premier Bob Carr delivered the keynote speech and presented his five point plan on counterterrorism. It includes uh a major review of all New South Wales offences which could be linked to a terrorist act or threat  sharing information between state and federal governments and agencies  and the concept of setting up a ministry for homeland security. I guess similar to the American model. Er the federal opposition leader Mark Latham is also calling for a one stop shop. Saying what's needed here is an integrated coordinated approach to protect commuter transport networks. Police and security experts are also pushing for an overhaul of of Commonwealth counterterrorism laws which they claim harm their ability to find and charge terrorists. New South Wales police commissioner Ken Moroney is saying that the primary police  concerns uh are lifting restrictions on how long terror suspects could be detained. And being permitted to use material gathered with listening devices as evidence in court. Currently most listening device warrants issued for terror investigation can only be issued for intelligence gathering purposes  not in courts. Also on the commissioner's agenda are moves for police to take greater control of the area around scenes of terror attacks and to use security guards as a as a quasi counterterrorist spy network. Now this follows the news that the federal government plans to introduce a new offense of consorting with terrorists. The laws would be loosely based on some state laws which jail people who associate with criminals.
Tt civil libertarians have slammed the proposal they're warning innocent people are gunna get dragged into police investigations which will interfere with freedom of association. Do you have any concerns  how far should we go in our efforts to protect our country our citizens our transport systems. Our issue tonight is about the threat of terrorism here in Australia. Like to hear your comments. Some interesting uh material in in uh what the papers were saying. Uh they're suggesting that the F B I has clearly stated that Australia is a terror target. I know it's not something the prime minister wants to hear but uh the F B I is saying yes it is  Sydney could be one city um but it could be Canberra it could be Melbourne. I suppose um the instant reaction to the Spanish  bombings where we saw a government thrown out over the weekend because of its poor response to terrorism  has sent a an extra chill through some western governments. You uh saw the conservative government that had been closely associated with  George W Bush uh a strong supporter of Tony Blair um basically chucked out of office. And uh the socialist government that has come in in Spain is saying we are pulling our troops out of Iraq by June if there isn't a U N mandate in place if there's not U N  control of what's happening in Iraq. So um y'know as much as we say y'know the the thing that we want to avoid is having the terrorist attacks influence us uh I suh I suppose in Spain it's had a very direct influence a change of government.
G'day Robin.
Oh.
You're saying that uh multiculturalism uh as far as you're concerned is actually hindering the the efforts to uh to deal with terrorism.
Oh I think so I I think that uh we were uh I I only say that twenty-five years ago I thought it was one of the most foolish policies we embarked on without  a procker proper consultation with the Australian people. That one of the upshots of it is the fact that if you've got four-hundred-thousand Muslims in Australia which we now have according to the Australian  um it makes the the job diabolically difficult uh because the nature of terrorism is it hides amongst  people uh causes great difficulties and great rifts within the population and really that's what I had to say that uh we were going to be a terrorist target anyway.
Yeah but I mean we don't wanna start uh y'know uh just painting Muslims as as as as a a an enemy from within I mean there're there're plenty of uh Muslims who detest terrorism to the back teeth  and yes there are some extremists in the in the community both worldwide and here  but uh y'know they're very much in the minority.
Yes but that's exactly what I'm saying. I'm not saying that the majority of Muslims are terrorists or even even uh identify with terrorism what I'm saying is that the fight against terrorism since its Islamic terrorism is just made ih virtually impossible now with the very large number of Muslims in Australia it's not possible to identify who's a terrorist and who's not because it's so difficult to get an entree w into a community which is in fact quite separate from mainstream Australia . I'm just saying it's much much more difficult.
Okay well well ih ih how are we gunna deal with that if that's uh if that is the case and it's something we obviously can't reverse.
You can't deal with it. That's what I said twenty-five years ago. The policy of multiculturalism is irreversible. If you make a mistake you can't undo  twenty-five years of immigration. Um you just can't do it . I was talking to Jewish friend the other day and I said how's all this affecting you and he said look  we have prayers  at um at the synagogue where you always kept the door open. Now we have to notify the rabbi um h whether we're coming or not because they close the door and they have to know how many people are in there. Uh I mean this is affecting the whole of our life and uh.
It is very disturbing I I I understand that and um I don't know whether we'll ever feel as secure as we have in the past. I think I think the the future is going to be more difficult to deal with.
Oh well we've got to be very tough there's no doubt about that.
Mm well we we we're in a situation also where there seems to be a new strand of terrorism with these explosions in Madrid. Uh there was no suicide bombers involved with this this was uh just y'know gear that was placed in y'know prominent positions on public transport and exploded.
Yes it's like the AIDS virus it can replicate itself in whole range of variables and as you say we're never going to get rid of it but if we are tough and we elect the right leaders and we have a f firm determination to be fair to everyone but also to be very tough with our own freedoms and we're gunna have to make those sacrifices  we can certainly beat it in the end but it's going to be a m a m as you say a very massive job.
Thanks very much Robin Wayne you you're saying uh does John Howard think the earth is flat as well.
Yeah well after uh his comments on radio tonight and on um seven-thirty report wuh I think he must.
Mm.
It's unbelievable wuh anyway uh you started off your commentary abou um do you feel um uh scared or anything like that and would you  um wuh I I don't particularly feel scared where I am and I guess you know where I am.
Mm.
Um but um.
Well it's close to the national capital.
Yes that's right but um I think I'd be um a bit worried if I was travelling around Sydney on um public public transport 'n' stuff  .Um.
I think I think  I think the scary thought is that y'know it doesn't require the uh the suicide bombers that uh September eleven required  uh y'know these've essentially y'know they they've just got technology that allows them to uh y'know detonate these things remotely.
That's right yeah um by like you can do 'em with your phone y'know your  mobile phone or anything or it be ve um which  makes it very scary . But um yes.
I mean is there any answer to it I mean ih can you defend yourself against something.
I don't think so no I um you can beef up beef up all the uh security as as much as you like and I don't think you'll be able to stop it.
Mm.
Yeah so but anyway I'll leave  with that.
Thanks very much   uh Sue you you believe there is a greater threat.
Well I think there is look I've lived in the U K for two and a half years Tony  and uh at one stage there was a bomb that went off in London Bridge. And luckily I didn't know about it at the time my ex husband was going up towards London Bridge and his train got diverted off sideways. But I figure that your time is up whenever your time is up and now it doesn't matter which government has been in power in the U K the I R A's been operating there for ever s ever so long and they can't s uh stop it's only  in the last few years but the other thing is Howard's in a bit of a bind. If we n not that before we went in to Iraq and Afghanistan there wasn't any of these special security increase legislation  for t antiterrorism and things like that. It's only since and we've all all of a sudden  these big t antiterrorist conferences it's since going into Iraq so one can only conclude  that it is because of going in and p being a part of the coalition of the willing and the other thing  is that at least now Howard his credibility has been peeled back a bit as Glen Milne said in The Australian. Peeled back a bit and you can't just rely on oh national security national security because  he's not he's n b he's there is no way that he can protect every everyone it's gunna happen it's gunn happen and  and I think  equal.
I'd better leave it there Sue I we're about to hit the news but more comments after the news this is the NightLife.
Yeah it's uh very disturbing indeed there are a lot of issues to deal with uh ih this question and uh it all seems to  um surround the uh police powers. Uh the the the future of um exactly how we try and deal with terrorism in Australia  and exactly what sort of changes we need to make to our lifestyle and to ensure that uh everything's gunna be okay or is it possible to ch make those sort of changes perhaps we're gunna be uh caught no matter what happens. Jill uh y you believe we need to stand firm in this whole thing.
Y yeah yeah same Tony um I think y'know Australia ih is y'know sort of joined the rest of the world in in uh  in the wake of these terrorist threats I mean I I think our era of splendid isolation is well and truly over. Um when I say stand firm I I think uh uh what I mean is we need to stand firm in being fair to people. In um oh it's an old fashioned term but in doing good I suppose  of y'know keeping faith and hope and not becoming um terrorised. I mean I must admit when I heard about the bombings in Madrid I work my workplace is opposite a railway station I thought oh that's no good . And I remember when I was in London in ninety-six and I was really shocked y'know I wasn't prepared for  um y'know no rubbish bins all the messages on the trains saying don't leave packages unattended and it really did make me feel uneasy for a while . But I.
It's very necessary isn't it when you w when you see things like this happening in Madrid.
Well I don't know I don't know how far you go y'know I really don't know how far you go. I still think y'know the chance of being in a being killed in a car accident is much higher isn't it.
Oh absolutely. And in fact uh I th I think that's something that most officials say uh that y'know if it really changes our lives they've won. Simply because  uh y'know they y'know they've ac got the ability to to to make change and to drive change by the terrorist actions . And yes the chance of us um being killed individually as uh y'know a percentage in uh y'know o ad id ih everyday chance it's it's quite  you've probably bigger chance of being crushed by an elephant but   y'know I mean uh uh y'know the last thing we want is uh y'know a Bali bombing happening even closer to home.
Yeah and I think our uh our part in the w what are we called the coalition of something or other .
Coalition of the willing.
The willing  that's right. I think that has made us um more of a target. And I think the Spanish government was thrown out because of that but also because they lied about it y'know they tried to blame ETA immediately. Trying to deflect y'know responsibility. Um I I just think if we keep on this spiral of um attacking people all the time and um y'know looking to protect ourselves in militaristic sorts of ways ih it can only get worse  I really think we have to  as I said just stand firm and and continue to be fair to people.
A lotta the experts say we really have no alternatives but to support the Americans um but I guess how far we do is  is a big question.
Mm it's like well it's not we had no alternative but to go and fight in the Boer War and to go to Gallipoli y'know.
The Maori wars . It ju it goes way back I mean.
We do we do have choices y'know but I think fear often uh rules those choices for us.
Yeah thanks Jill great to hear from you. Um it is true um but a lotta people saying well you have to be in an alliance it's uh you can't stand free of it and we are firmly wedged with the Americans the British and the Europeans although a lot of the Europeans seem to have broken loose of recent times. We welcome back West Australian listeners after the mid evening bulletin uh this is the NightLife and the issue of the day and tonight we're looking at uh terrorism and how it's likely to impact on everyday Australian life. Um some far reaching police powers to search arrest and detain people suspected of planning or committing terrorist acts are set to be strengthened in certain states and uh it is a very different atmosphere post Madrid. Peter um you're you're worried about our security.
Well I'm concerned about I go to Spain fairly regularly and uh I've been reading the Spanish newspapers a couple of points I'd like to raise because  there seems to be a a breakdown in the Spanish intelligence services which is very bad. And uh there was no warning  that this was going to happen and uh it's amazing because the uh Spanish have a very very large police force as you probably know.
Mm.
And uh a very active intelligence system because Morocco is so close to them. Now a Al Qaeda assuming it was Al Qaeda  was able to outwit them and uh there's some funny business somewhere because it took them a very long time to get to that cell phone. In fact uh it took them quite a while and uh  then .
I notice of the five suspects arrested three are Moroccans.
Yeah but there was a long interval and they should have got to that to the source of that uh cell phone the sim card a lot quicker than they did. The Spanish people were protesting against Aznar because he had lied to them. And they didn't like that and they also were protesting because the intelligence services had failed and I would think that uh the question of lies uh might take us back to children overboard. And there might be a lesson there somewhere for this government.
Mm  uh do do you think that Australia is in the firing line there is the potential for a a Madrid in Australia.
Oh I think there's no doubt about that uh uh I read extensively and I follow everything on the internet and  I've never uh in the nine years or so that I've been on the internet m I've never seen Australia mentioned so often. And uh it's a bit spooky to to find yourself uh linked uh with this coalition. But um I mean that's life we've been taken there and um uh we have to live with it and I just hope and I have great faith in uh in uh Keelty the commissioner. I think he is a good man I think he's a very honest man and I think he's extremely bright. And he gives me a great deal of confidence therefore I shall um travel in uh public transport quite normally I'm not gunna be spooked by any of this but I think that uh the government may have led us into a very dangerous situation.
Peter thanks for your thoughts Rick uh y you think the prime minister's talking up terror all the time.
Yes I think um there's just been a a bit of a shift I've noticed in the last couple of days with Mr Howard um originally talking up the terrorist angle and using it I think in the same way as your previous caller talked about with the children overboard situation where it's a wedge politics to make people feel a sense of fear whether it's true or not. We all know now that it's true and as soon as this uh evidence comes back that it is true with things like the bombing in Madrid he seems to um take another tact and try and remove himself from having um any responsibility involved with um bringing Australia into this situation. I just think that your first caller originally when you first started this segment before the news spoke about multiculturalism and said that he felt it was a problem I think it's actually the key. I think an open hearts and open minds sort of attitude with an alternative to conflict and tension and the attention that can be gained through this sort of action needs to be defused I mean ten years ago this country was sort of put up on a pedestal was a model for the rest of the world in how well multiculturalism was working here  and in freedom of religion in freedom of speech and freedom of belief and and I just don't know where we're going. I think ten years ago we were on the right track and we had good relationships with our um neighbours in Asia and around the general region and I just think this move away to the right has been extremely damaging but I'm hoping that it's the last swing to the right that we get for some time because these things always seem to have a pendulum affect and I think we're swinging back the other way now and I think it's high time and I just hope that we haven't done too much damage that is irreversible.
Thanks Rick great to hear from you um Jean Pierre you want a word about this as well you you believe we need to look at  why there is terrorism.
Yes I mean like leh let's face it you can put uh uh whatever change whatever law you want up to this or that but I don't think it's gunna  uh influence a decision of somebody who's gunna decide to blow a bridge or anything like that . Um the the major part I took offence to the chap just before the news uh who seemed to blame the Muslim. And he he made a reference to his Jewish friend who has to close the door. Um we were all screaming our head off um uh in February last year or sometime last year because um Iraq had the twelve years to uh or ten years to  obey U N resolution but every for body seemed to forget that since nineteen-sixty-seven Israel has forgotten to um uh imply the uh is uh the United Nation resolution they must pull out of the West Bank and Palestine. And basically the whole Al Qaeda movement was based for that. If you take Bin Laden if you sort of study um his early beginning and all his whole life  he he only had two reasons for being it. First it was to overthrow the government in Saudi Arabia which is rotten and corrupt . Two to um prevent um Israel from destroying Palestine and therefore he was an eme enemy of the American. Right. Now if you don't need the problem pretty soon we will create a rift between the Christian and the Muslim which eventually uh the the Muslim country have a lesser living of standard than the western world and it's very easy for anybody who takes over down there to use the western world as a c scapegoat.
Yes.
You see what I mean by that and no law that you're gunna put no phone tapping no um. I mean if we go in phones they got a pirate solution they got this they got that they got tha it still happens.
It is impossible to defend against somebody who's prepared to die for a cause.
That's right and when you think about the intelligence from the America I mean American spent as as b I think the C I A on its own has a bih a forty billion budget but yet. Wha wha what what did they knew about Spain. Absolutely nothing . Right and uh we just can't cope to keep on saying we need America we need America we need America  I can't stuh uh uh stick  hang on America need us too you know. What about pine uh Pine Gap. Where they gunna put that  I mean that's a big part of their uh o of their anti espionage thing. What about the um the big um radar in uh near Canberra with the needs for the NASA and things like that . Y'know so ih it's not just saying y'know but we need America we need. We need to stand on our own two bloody two feet for a change you know sort of said where  you know sorry but you know this is not legal this is not moral this is uh the problem is a problem for the Middle East it was created  um with the Balfour resolution during the First World War. Uh it's it then it turn into lies after lies after lies until eventually um England uh wash uh their hand with uh with uh the Palestine solution and give it to the United Nation . Y'know and ih .
Yeah uh ih it's a lot more complex than a lotta people are suspecting and uh and ye you're right y you p really have to look at the reasons for the terrorism uh ih as potentially I guess the the the main solution. Jean Pierre thanks for y for your thoughts on it. Magpie uh consistency is your issue.
Don't you like what I put up on the board.
Consistency.
Well probably a few listeners wouldn't mind if a few black and white feathers flew but I don't think Bingar is a major target. Um H M A S Success in New Zealand . Feel very sorry for the crew because I have a feeling that there's some uh uh readjustments going on in uh routines over there. But that is just how simple this sort of thing can happen . Um even if they did write the right thing on the side of it. At first I don't think we have enough information exactly at this moment to to acknowledge who is behind it there may be some educated guesses.
Well the European and Arab intelligence officials say the preliminary investigation and uh the interrogation of the five arrested  is really pointing heavily towards Al Qaeda.
Only one of whom apparently is uh of interest the others were uh uh phone shop owners. Um I mean the for ooh I don't know there was a great organisation went on behind this incident uh the timing the the whole thing that was needed uh listening to someone there you needed to organise the uh coordinate have vehicles have  have h safe houses have escape routes so there was more than one involved uh it was a big organisation of some by some very clever person. Um we have been warned uh time and time again n Australia has been named um by this coalition of the willing is the alliance between the warnings and our vulnerability. Um but you see no weapons of mass destruction Tony have actually been found in Iraq which mea could be inferred that Iraq was actually complying with that U N resolution which the U S and its puppets used as an excuse to go into Iraq. So in actual fact ih it almost makes it an illegal act in itself uh after the event.
Mm  well the the French and the Germans certainly thought that.
Well precisely um  now  Mr Howard today said it wasn't neccessary to upgrade a warning colour but several uni uni European countries have gone from yellow to orange and one's gone to red . And.
I think we were listed as being at medium level at this time.
Well when Mr Howard was asked he said no it was not neccessary change. Alright everybody who have a fridge magnet what is the national security hotline number Tony . It's a good trivia question 'cos no one remembers it.
Dear oh dear . You ask you do ask the tough questions. Thanks Magpie Warren uh ye you um an L P G tanker driver.
Yes mate.
And you've had some directives from your company.
Yes I've been um we've been instructed by the company in writing as well as verbally um to be aware of what's around us we do a lotta late night deliveries.
Yes.
And we've been told be very careful. If we don't think it's safe to drive off. Um one of our drivers says what happens if we get confronted by people in vehicles and he won't let you drive over 'em if you have to. This is um  .
That's interesting.
Yeah.
A a and and what they're they're they're concerned that there is the possibility of  somebody trying to commandeer a vehicle and and do damage with it.
Yeah well y'know like a forty-five-thousand litre L P G tank would make a helluva big hole in the ground.
It would.
And and um  we've been told be very careful and if we don't think it's safe to keep driving then call the authorities. Um I'm  out at the mo I'm out at the moment working. And w y'know w w w we go to some s pretty dark and horrible places in the middle of the night. And um y'know we're we're all concerned and  even our families are concerned 'cos y'know we we've gone back to our families and said been told to do this and um . Yeah.
That is really scary.
Yeah well it it would make a helluva mess I can tell you now  it'd make a helluva mess.
Yeah that's reason to be concerned.
'Cos um 'cos um L P G is very very volatile even more than y'know your average unleaded fuel so uh it's . Yeah it's a bit worrying 'n' you you might say when you're driving the thing around all day.
Absolutely Warren thanks for passing that on that's uh that's interesting  a new approach from a company when uh  when dealing with uh anybody who might approach an L P G tanker. Colin uh you you believe if we surrender to terror they're the winners.
Oh of course uh you just have to have a look what's happening in Spain now . Uh the terrorist there now know that they can.
Change governments.
Government . And change government policy. And how can you do it you can do it through bombs . Um and that means they are now in the driving seat they are going to win this uh campaign. If the rest of us give up if the rest of us give in to them and I guess it's called a form of appeasement . Um I I find that very concerning and uh.
It is a very difficult task this this uh declared war on terror from president George W Bush. Uh it's simply because it's such an amorphous mass . Uh it's h it's hard to know exactly where they are. Where they they thought that they knew where most of the training bases were in Afghanistan . Um I don't know whether they control much more than the Afghani capital. Uh and a and a small area around that.
Well the Northern Alliance scar has a large slice of northern Afghanistan and that's nominally within the control of the alliance . Of of the sorry the coalition of the willing. Um uh y'know we shouldn't underestimate what has been achieved in Afghanistan certainly the  dreaded uh Taliban have gone.
Oh  no no question that uh it was good to to have them departed but  uh y you you sort of wonder whether the American focus uh moved to Iraq and uh y'know basically let Afghanistan go.
Oh true there there there's uh evidence in that I guess. Uh the point I would make though that we as a nation ha have been marked already. We were marked  at the time of our events in Afghanistan  um.
We were also marked uh at East Timor.
East Timor that's right and I would suggest that we were marked before that because  these people the terrorists they don't like who we are or what we stand for. And if we start surrendering and giving in to their  dictates their demands well they win and the world will be poorer for it.
Thanks Colin great to hear from you uh Eve you uh you believe we've been at war with terror for uh a long time.
Uh uh yes uh Tony I just heard you say before  well there's probably a reason for terrorism. There's no such a reason for terrorism it's a most insidious horrible thing. Now uh uh uh what that foreman meh Colin said uh uh that the new socialist government is going to appease these terrorists so that any time in the future uh any country's going to have an election they'll boh blow up a few uh trains and dictate who's going to govern the country . So all your listeners who who  y'know it's always they get on to have this shot at John Howard anyway  uh th they will come on and say oh what wuh y'know we've got wuh t terrorism ih you blame the Americans you blame  the English and you bla blame the Australians uh uh can you remeh you wouldn't remember sixty years ago when Hitler tried to take over the world. And and Japan and our allies went and fought them otherwise Hitler wuh wuh would've taken over the whole world. You you don't give in to them Tony . Now uh I I I really can't believe all these people that are blaming the coalition uh for for going to war with Iraq and and these other countries these fundamentalist Islamic terrorist  and y'know I I will justify which uh uh we're all required to to say not all Muslims are terrorists  but there's a lot of them who hate Christians. Uh the ye y'know all you people who come on and defend these people uh that uh you're getting the message aren't you that they hate Christians and we are at war with them.
Mm well I I think there's a war on terrorism I don't think there's a war against m uh uh Islam. Uh it's uh it it it is a a y'know a conflict that  uh is based on uh Osama Bin Laden and his uh connections that uh are determined to  y'know make radical changes in  the Middle East and America.
They're promising they're going to take over the world and kill the infidels is that correct. That's a war isn't it . So what do you do. Do you just sit back and let them take over the world.
Yes I I think that uh y'know th they can disrupt the world I don't think they can take over the world it's not it's not like they've got an army like uh Adolf Hitler had behind him and y'know the he had the potential to take over the world. And I think y'know this is a group that can rock the world certainly but not uh not not uh uh y'know dem uh commandeer us.
Any anyway Tony I I'm I'm just  uh fearful of the people that we now have in Australia  who've just uh wih wih with their provincial political thinking blame everything on John Howard I think he's a very brave man. Uh who has taken on these terrorists like two-hundred Australians uh uh were blown up three-thousand Americans were blown up uh two hundred uh uh Spanish people were blown up the other day so what do we do. Do we appease them or do we go to war against terrorism . I think that's the main question people should be asking.
Thanks very much for your point of view uh Dawn you you believe the prime minister's correct.
Yes I do and I'm so pleased to hear Colin and Eve thinking correctly. I n I know for one that I don't want to have to walk down the street wheeling my grandchild thinking can't I take him in there or can't I take him there. I wanna enjoy his time with me while I'm alive  and I and my grandchildren to come and as as far as defending Australia I think people are are it amazed me I they're the  the islalelu  the Islamic race is winning. Uh they they have already won it is a war terrorism is a war and they're they're already winning they do have the means  you say they can't take over the world.
Well I mean th they doh they don't have the means to to y'know dominate the world at this time.
Well sneaking into places and bombing bombing innocent people  blowing hundreds of people up at a time I mean  that's good odds isn't it.
Yeah well it certainly rocks the world there is no question of it and I mean everybody is firmly focussed on what happened in Spain I mean uh ih it was terrible I mean these people were uh poor workers they were uh y'know um uh students they were every everyday average people who were  who were killed by this uh  terrorist outrage.
Can you think of a place in Australia where they couldn't get to. You could you think of place in Australia that's safe. And what if they were so well organised that they could choo asy as a caller previously said uh they could use telephones to ignite these bombs from long distances away. I mean they could do twenty thirty places at a time . It must have taken a lot of organisation for those people to get the planes to work in places where they could be trusted y'know in America and then all of a sudden that great disaster I mean there were thousands killed there. And those people were going into people's homes as friends . I I can't believe that people can be so naive  as n as I mean I look at it almost as treason when you go against your own country and I think John Howard is a is a very brave man and I think we've got the right man at the helm he  nothing rocks him where he can think he can think evenly about things every every problem that's thrown at him in this situation he's very s he's a steadfast person he stands stands there  and protects our country and and makes decisions that that affect us every day that keep us safe. Uh I I think people are are choosing a game of dice they're throwing it in the air and saying yes we'll choose this it's like barracking for a football team. They get a they get an idea into their head and they think oh yeah this is good this'll be good but not one of those people would be willing to say  I bet you if he said come on stand up with me and protect our country they wouldn't. I have a son who's just come out of the army he's now in the police force and he was overseas. And I I dread to think I have another son as well that they would stand up there and protect people like these. And what would they do what would they have done if they had've if there had've been and I still believe there were weapons somewhere I believe that he had a l it's a huge place over there and he had a lotta countries  as allies to put those weapons long long ago uh otherwise why wouldn't he let them come in straight away and look.
Alright Dawn thanks for that uh good to hear from you James you you believe that fear is taking over uh.
g'day mate um good conversation tonight. Yeah I was in England got back just over a year ago  on a working holiday visiting relatives. Caught the tube from Padding to Waterloo 'n'  mate I hated it  it was awful . And it wasn't me and and um one thing I learned and my family and friends told me is that  people weren't very friendly and people don't say hello and I just hate the idea that 'cos I grew up in Sydney. I just hate the idea that it's gunna become like that 'cos I remember Sydney as a happy friendly city and  people say g'day y'know just  just and then they're achieving what they want to achieve just just by that and I just hope that it doesn't become that way because I thought it was awful. And I found myself becoming that way. I'd see a bag a bag or baggage on the train and no one near it. Y'know.
You'd move away.
And I'd go uhp  no I wouldn't I'd go who's that belong to .
Oh okay.
Where's that come from  and I'd I'd watch it. And and all the warnings and the and the alerts over the over the network and and the voice overs and things and it does get to you and I just  hate to think that.
I mean ih ih terrorism isn't brand new here either I mean we y you only have to think back to uh what was it nineteen-seventy-eight the CHOGM conference at the Hilton hotel in Sydney. The  the bomb that went off outside of the Hilton . Um so it's it's and y'know we've we've had an explosion at uh the police  headquarters in in Adelaide we've had uh  the uh y'know and and Bali o obviously even though it wasn't  on Australian territory it was almost de facto Australian territory.
It was yeah yeah. I I just I just don't like the the idea that that we might become very unfriendly people and suspicious and a bit paranoid about  where we go and what we do and I just hope it doesn't become that way 'cos that's what I experienced in England and I didn't like it at all basically .
Yeah I know I I understand exactly what you're saying James thanks uh Steve you you're concerned about the increased powers issue you have a bit of a problem with uh unlimited powers.
Yes very much so actually soon I'll be more scared of uh uh t uh the police than the terrorists . Because um if they suddenly have powers holding you without arrest and all of that it um  takes off uh the pressure on the police to actually uh be a bit more um thorough in their investigation. They can just hold you because oh you look like a terrorist and suddenly um you could be in their custody for a period of time which can affect uh your family life  once I find that you are in custody you uh tend to um uh you you feel that you're powerless and uh with uh with them being able to say well you can come here and uh we don't ha even have to charge you with anything.
Mm I don't think they're thinking about uh a replica of Guantanamo Bay I don't think it's gunna be quite that ruthless but uh what they're saying is that what they'd need to do probably is hold  uh terror suspects for longer than we would normally hold criminal suspects for and be able to investigate them fully otherwise uh y'know it is it's it's possible that the authorities are gunna miss certain facts uh that could be critical.
I've no problems there but these laws seems to be uh cutting across the whole board whole spectrum  so therefore I mean yes that might be a good law for today and everybody sort of understands but suddenly .
It's on the books and so therefore it's there forever.
That's right and therefore some policeman may have a small grudge against you maybe nothing major but suddenly he holds you for four hours or how many hours he's allowed to hold you whatever the case may be. It's just something and then lets you go you've got no recourse unless you've got good lawyers . And um  y'know money y'know you let these things go and I find that there should be I mean I I believe they should have powers and I believe they have a lot of powers. Mm but I think there there's gotta be a very tight scrutiny and like the last uh powers that were introduced with ASEO the only people that really scrutinised them were the Greens and at the end of the whole lot I actually wasn't quite satisfied um where the powers would end and and and I wasn't clear where what the powers actually were . And that's uh.
So you the you you think it's important to underline the fact that it's still a democracy.
Yes very much so and uh I believe they do have uh quite extensive powers now and just by giving more and more powers to the police actually creates more fear of the police than it does of the terrorists.
Alright Steve thanks for your view Greg you uh have a general comment on on terror.
Yes uh Tony.
G'day Greg.
I I was very impressed with the comments of uh Colin Steve and that other lady uh we're talking here raw patriotism and uh and I'm not taking away from the others who have a genuine belief in what they believe in they they believe in appeasement and so on. But my attitude is I go though a path and when I walk through Perth I I go through a sign that says those deserve peace who are prepared to defend it. Now that doesn't mean to say that I'm a warmonger . What I'm saying is if someone threatens my country I'm a defensive person not an offensive person  if someone threatens my country I'm right behind whichever political party is prepared to pick up the gear and go and I will do that I'll defend Bob Brown I'll say Bob righto Bob you wouldn't wanna pick up a a an M sixteen with me. I've gotta defend you and your family and you're gunna roll over uh and say y'know please don't hurt me it's uh ih uh I'm a good bloke. I said that that isn't the way these poor fanatics think . And I said the bottom line is that that sort of action those guys have got and they are fanatics and they are off the beam and .
Well ih it makes it also very hard to defend against simply because you don't know exactly where they're going to go next.
No and and of course if if they come into our territory any of these folks that do that then I say we need whatever powers that the government needs to defend against that I am only too happy to support it because I can walk through. They can arrest me any time they want to. I can walk through there I know that I will come out the other end okay. Now some of those blokes are a little worried about that. Think about it because um uh in our judicial system ih in the Westminster system of government we have a predication of innocence before guilt  and uh I uh I uh I think I couldn't put it better than Colin Eve and that other lady . And I won't try and go over that ground again Tony.
But uh as far as you're concerned  we we we should uh.
protecting my country and my family and  my grandkids.
Y you believe we should be taking a a very aggressive uh investigative.
it's not so much aggressive but a very positive stance towards protecting our country and we don't roll over and just lie down and go for appeasement. That's not my game and I I will support any government and I guarantee there's an awful lotta people behind me  that that says we will use whatever powers we have to to protect our kith and kin.
Tt good to hear from you Greg thanks for that uh Tom you you believe public gatherings  could be a possible target here.
Yes Tony. I just listened to that man and a couple of women before him  and I wonder where they live. Um  here in Toowoomba I I doubt that we've got any cause to worry because there are no gatherings big enough anywhere in toowoom  we don't have a train service . Sydney and Melbourne could be concerned about it but why about transport when they have for instance in Melbourne they have an anything up to ninety-thousand people gathered together for a game of football.
Mm oh it's something we have to look at too I mean  y'know major sporting gatherings that sort of thing it ih y'know they all could be potential targets.
But how do you guard against people who are prepared to blow themselves to pieces to take somebody else with them.
Well I don't think you can.
And I heard I heard a a few of your callers talking about  them the terrorists have done this to these innocent people in Spain. What the hell do they think that the coalition of the willing did  to innocent people in Afghanistan and and Iraq . Y'know and and as one of your callers said  nobody is dib is being bothered to find out why they are terrorists why they are doing this sorta stuff. How can you defeat something if you don't know why they're doing it . And and when they talk about a war against terrorism  you you can't win a war against terrorism you have to find some other way of doing it. And that doesn't mean rolling over and appeasement and all the rest of it. And uh I don't know where they get the idea that  um Bob Brown or Labor is prepared to roll over and and and appease the terrorists uh uh it's all I I I don't know I don't know where they   they they must just reach up into the m into into air and grab these things out out of mid air because.
A l a lotta people believe that um y'know we shouldn't have been in Iraq in the first place  uh and and I think um y'know that's th th that's the attitude that they're reflecting.
Tony John Howard said that that as far as he's concerned there's no link between uh the spai Spanish troops going into Iraq and and the bombing . Uh the majority of Spaniards don't agree with him. They they uh thought enough about it to uh ousted the government that took them into that. And uh uh I I don't kno I d I don't know you know  when they talk about Iraq  an and I heard Bush talking about protecting America from an attack by Iraq. And and we we're in this this sorta stuff too. Iraq was never a threat to us . And yet but we we attack it we we invade it without without any warning and and now we've we've got we've got people we've got people in Guantanamo Bay and as far as I'm I can see the most that they could charge them with is defending themselves against an armed attack.
Yeah I think it'll be m little little more serious than that Tom by the sound of the uh military tribunal  but thank thanks for your thoughts Ian uh y y you believe we shouldn't run up a white flag under any circumstances.
under no cir  pardon me g'day Tony under no cir uh circumstances  um I mean we are we're fighting people in these in these terrorists how I'd label them . They are they are diabolically evil they are fanatical and they are cowardly. And ih h the appeasement will will uh serves nothing. Wih wih they are utterly utterly committed to their cause and they pervert a noble religion Islam in so doing. Islam is not all about this. This is a perversion of it  the w the what they're what they are doing.
Mm Osama Bin Laden's version is a very different one from  the Koran.
Very different from what you'd find in the Koran and  very different from what would be preached by a a a balanced and scholarly uh mufti I'm sure . But um.
I I understand your comment.
Ih it's we we we just simply have to stand firm ap appeasement has never worked I mean look at look at history I mean yes yes there were innocent people were killed so were innocent people killed in the second world war but did we should we will we we feel constrained in our fight against imperial Japan and Nazi Germany because innocent people were going to be killed in bombing raids or shelling or whatever  no. Uh tragically this is part of war. And I have  um my life was  profoundly changed uh mm by the loss of my uncle in the second world war but that's that's another matter th so I mean I have no I have no reason to to be uh.
A supporter of conflict but mm.
War but I neither am I a pacifist but it. I've had to be realistic . I mean this is an occasion where we simply have to take up arms  we have to be alert and we we really I mean it it's going to be a I don't uh I don't think anybody you one would be a fool to imagine one could this could be something that could be won as it were overnight. It's going to be a protracted protracted affair.
Well I think um president Bush indicated it could be twenty years it could be fifty years and uh I think he's not far off the mark. Ian thank you um I think we'd better call it a halt there. Thank you for the callers I'm sorry we didn't as always we didn't get through everyone um this uh will undoubtedly develop a little further this is the first day of a major conference that we're reflecting on uh and uh unfortunately the terrorist threat is uh mhm gunna be something we're gunna have to learn to live with.
"Ends 2:06:24"""
So now it's welcome first to our expert panel. Dr Brian Edgar he is director of theology and public policy for the Evangelical Alliance a mainstream Protestant agency which have a website that canvases electoral issues. Brian welcome  to you.
Thank you very much glad to  be here.
Victoria Kearney is one of the coordinators of a website called PolMin which looks at lobbying for policies in harmony with Catholic social teaching Victoria welcome to you.
Good evening John.
And uh it's my pleasure to welcome in Adelaide Paul Newsham. Uh Paul Newsham is a pastor with the Northside Christian Life Centre an Assemblies God church at Gawler in South Australia Paul welcome to you.
Thank you John.
So first to you all the great mystery of this campaign for us what would Jesus do. Paul Newsham let me come to you first. Um  Christians seem to be getting organised  in political lobbies in a way that they haven't in previous election campaigns. Now is this something that has just spilled over from the United States or has there been a groundswell for a number of years.
I think it's been growing for a number of years I I think Christians um have withdrawn from politics for too long um and from from making their voice heard probably because we felt being in a Christian nation that our values were being maintained but I I think as we look now at our nation we probably would be hard pressed to call it Christian and I think our Christian values have also been undermined quite dramatically so Christians are just rising up and saying we want to have the values that we believe in.
Well I guess the real question there then comes to be well there's two questions that occur to me  why in organised parties and uh what values. Let's address the organised parties question first and uh Brian .
Now.
There's a long history of Christian involvement with uh with with politics.
Absolutely.
Why uh what's the difference between Christians who get into politics just by becoming members of other parties and this current trend to see Christians particularly it seems to me  and I may be wrong uh Christians with a a particularly tight view on on social issues  getting organised in politics.
Yes yes well ih yes uh Christians uh I I think at the moment are involved ih in in both levels very much uh there are those that are uh forming parties and and coalescing in that way. Um ih it's perhaps not so obvious that there uh are uh and have been for a long time a lot of Christians who are uh deeply involved in uh uh in politics but but not in in uh sort of that cohesive way it's uh it's Christians working within other parties. Uh and I think to some extent there are some uh uh sort of theological things that underlie why why people take a different approach to that  um ih it's possibly true that th perhaps the more conservative people do tend to to form parties a little bit more and I think it's possibly because of a slightly different view of the world. Um perhaps uh they see things a little bit more black and white and and perhaps the idea of uh of being uh separated from the world is perhaps a little bit a little bit stronger and so in a sense a a slightly different view of holiness of uh of working in a in a Christian community and not sort of being  unequally yoked with uh with people in uh in secular parties uh whereas on the other side there are there are people who would suggest that uh uh the best way to transform structures is by actually being involved in those structures and so try and work within uh political parties.
Victoria Kearney let me bring you in here because there is a long history of Catholic social involvement with the community indeed  uh the church has been actively seen particularly in Europe uh over the last hundred years or so has been actively involved in uh creating political parties. Yet that seemed to go on the wane over recent years and you have more the tendency s uh uh to do as as Brian was describing for Catholics to get involved in parties and be the sort of influence within existing parties. Why has that happened what's been the shift there.
I think that um  there there was th there was the argument between religion and politics and I think that people have uh probably taken a step back in terms of being involved in party politics  but our organisation is actually coming back into the political arena because they've recognised that they can work like a revolving door around poverty and welfare and structural problems  unless they actually get into the part t into the political arena they won't impact on that on those policy issues so we're coming back into politics but fo.
But not as a party.
Not as a party but as a ih on in relation to the policies themselves.
Issue by issue.
Yes.
Paul that comes back to you then  why have you been an active supporter of getting Christians as organised groups to form political parties uh Family First is one party that you've been associated with being active in support of and I know that Family First has a lot of support in A O G Assemblies of God communities.
Yeah I think I think John it has to be said that we've been active in getting people involved at all levels both the levels that have been talked about in the sense of uh people becoming actively involved in other  um parties uh getting involved in the political system p uh uh per se uh but also there's been this move in more recent times to get involved in uh a party as such. Um I I think it has to be said that Family First doesn't see themselves as a Christian party but uh certainly the majority of the people in there are Christian. But they're espousing the kind of vows uh views rather that Christians um of our type would be more likely to espouse I  I think.
What do you mean by your type.
Well  probably those of us who are strongly uh for family values and so on who have been I think um disappointed with the standards and the directions that some of the parties have been going  we.
Which parties in particular.
Oh . Well y'know I I don't think any of the parties have specifically d uh targeted families as someone that they're concerned for. Um every party kind of has its um its group y'know the Labor party have uh targeted the working class the Liberals more the business  uh the Greens the environmentalists and so on. Um Family First party and others like them have felt that the family is someone who needs to be very much cared for and  it doesn't become a single issue in the sense that every piece of legislation just about that goes through any parliament is going to affect the family in some way and so  it's been felt by these people that family needs that kind of protection and and and I think that those people that are supporting parties such as Family First and others are very very strong that the family is the basic unit of society and that w if that goes down society goes down. So.
Brian Edgar let   I'll have  to get in on that   we can't let you  run a party political ad here.
I think I think this is actually another reason uh for why some Christians prefer to work in parties in that way Paul's pointed us to this  that that there are some for s from some people's point of view uh there are some certain specific issues that they say would say these are definitively the issues that uh that Christians need to get involved in and we can agree on those issues  whereas I think some of the Christians who uh don't get involved uh in in a a a Christian party in th in that sense or ih or a party of Christians  uh perhaps see that there are there are other issues as well I'm not suggesting that Family First are not concerned about issues of asylum seekers or justice or the war in Iraq or so on. But uh th the it seems that that the formal sort of more Christian parties ha have nominated uh largely family issues uh uh as as being the focus whereas those that are working through other parties are perhaps more  uh more focused on on some other issues or perhaps PolMin and others uh are more  y'know  based on specific policy issues rather than uh a a a party structure like that.
Well l let's come to the point there and shift away from the the issue of how we organise in parties and come to that question of values. That is what are definitively Christian values that one could claim uh uh a mandate for in terms of going to people and saying look these are the values that Jesus would stand for this is what Jesus would vote on. Um for you Victoria Kearney what are the critical issues as a committed Catholic Christian that you say look Jesus would be right down the line one these.
Okay I just wanted to make the point that PolMin has been very successful  having a bipartisan party political position. We've actually um reflected other people's positions and sharing sh recognising that we're actually sharing values across party positions. So that's where PolMin has made a difference particularly in say the water issue. But in terms of Jesus in terms of what the what the values that we operate on are the common good. The the the fact that it is the concept that is the cornerso cornerstone of Catholic social teaching. It says that all social conditions everybody should have access to equal social conditions. People.
Equity then is it is it.
Equity and and and equity in terms of fulfilment um fulfilment to the resources of creation fulfilment in terms of housing fulfilment in terms of uh education. So the com common good is one of the very strong cornerstones of our work. Um solidarity with those who are disenfranchised. If we don't protect the rights of the poor or the disenfranchised it affects all of us.
Now you're picking up on a strand of Catholic social teaching that's been there for the best part of what a hundred and ten years now  since uh the famous um uh the famous uh w work uh by pope um tt.
John  John.
Well not John the twenty-third  but I'm going back a hundred years before that . Um  uh to to the whole issue of Catholic social teaching and uh um the condition of the the working classes that er document  that came out in eighteen-ninety um so the.
You probably know more about the the the specifics of cashel Catholic social teaching than I do but what you're talking about is solidarity with those who are um not a y'know not disenfranchised and and s the the whole mutuality if we do for them we do for us it's a reciprocal arrangement it's it's for the for the good of all that we pull together. And so they they would be some of the values that we'd be looking at.
Alright now Brian w what for you  you're you're coming as a director of theology and public policy from a group called the Evangelical Alliance which is a an umbrella body for a number  of of mainline protestant groups  I guess we could d describe .
Yes we're we're not we're not in any sense a political party I mean we see uh people being involved uh in all sorts of uh different kinds of ways. I I I think some of the values that uh Christians have traditionally seen as y'know Christian values and and people have applied in their own lives  are actually really important social values that need to be expressed in terms that are appropriate for our community  take something like grace y'know a a y'know amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like ne me is normally seen as being something that applies uh to us the God has uh saved us by his grace but if grace was lived out as a a social value it would be profound because grace really means giving people what they don't deserve.
Yes you've picked an  interesting example there uh with uh Amazing Grace written by John Newton  who was a converted slave trader of course who fought  for the abolition of slavery  so grace for him was a social value.
Yes  that's right and uh uh uh had profound uh impact uh uh I might have mentioned th mentioned this to you earlier profound impact actually directly on Australian there's a direct line  between um John Newton and William Wilberforce uh in the in England Wilberforce uh was advised by Newton  not to give up politics uh Wilberforce was planning to go into the ministry and Newton said no don't go  do that y stay in politics and and Wilberforce uh mixed with William Pitt the prime minister then and it was at a a breakfast between uh Wilberforce and Pitt that they decided to send uh a chaplain out to the Botany Bay to the colonies here. So sort of direct straight line between John Newton and uh and Australia here.
And and you say that that really defines a tradition within evangelical protestantism.
Certainly. There has been a very strong tradition uh of soh social involvement in evangelicals I think unfortunately during the  twentieth century uh it slipped away. The n the nineteenth century was a tremendous time for for evangelicals in terms of social action and the twentieth century perhaps wasn't so hot 'cos I think a lot of evangelicals bought into the  sort of claim that there's a dichotomy a division between faith and work uh and and tended to privatise faith a lot but  uh part of the reason I think why in recent times there's been a lot more political involvement is that people are overcoming that very artificial distinction  uh that there's private faith and public values and people saying well look these  these values these Christian values that we have they're actually very important social values as well. I mean if we didn't have a society that was based on giving people more than they deserved how would that change our our attitudes in terms of uh the way we deal with uh with social welfare the way that we deal with uh asylum seekers and so on ih could would be quite radical.
Uh Paul what Brian is saying there is picking up on much of what you said but I suspect you're coming from act actually radically different positions when you're looking at application of those values.
Yeah I'm not so sure um first of all y'know I don't represent a political party I believe that any candidate who's upholding Christian values is really worthy of a a vote. Um I I I think that for me whether you believe we're a trichotomy a dichotomy or any other kind of otomy  um every area of our life is affected by our spiritual beliefs just as every  just as our spiritual beliefs affect every area of our are affected by every area of our lives. And so I think when it comes to our beliefs in politics and so on we need to be um bringing those values in but for me I'm very interested and I'm sure that  that the people that I've associated with in the past and and m candidates that have Christian values are very interested in the health of our people we we want our nation to have good health cover and good health protection we we want good education systems in our country and surely every  Australian wants that.
Well let's talk about education 'cos there's a there's a really interesting issue. I um wuh y you support I would take it the um the uh the the position on on private schools that private schools should be um should be actively supported and that Christian schools should be actively supported.
Y yes I would because I think that if parents choose that form of education for their children then they should be able to do that. I think it's.
What if about that choice isn't economically available to them. That is I'm talking about where you get a situation where you've got to say as the churches did in debating this a hundred years ago  look if we privatised education we wouldn't have an adequate public system. So we've gotta have the public system first.
Y yeah and and I acs fully accept that argument and I'm not gunna go against that I think however that part of the choice that parents make is whether or not they can afford a private education and many  many private schools of course do everything they can to help families that are underprivileged so that their children can still have some level of education in a private school. Um but to me it is a choice of parents and I think that it's also a good thing that governments support uh public uh private education as well as public education I don't think there should be competition here I think they should be working together but let's not forget that the parents who are putting their children into public s uh into private schools are still paying taxes as the s th under the same regime and to the same value as those that are in public school I I really don't think it should be a major issue. I think it again we should be making sure that our children are getting a good education whether they're in a private or a public school.
Brian
Yes well uh uhf have to say of this point say the Evangelical Alliance wouldn't have a a specific policy on that but it would be uh I think guided uh along lines of a a say if uh the principles of justice. Uh and biblicly speaking justice is a is a concept that's biased uh in favour of the disadvantaged so uh whatever policy one comes out with there it it needs to be uh a policy that works in favour of those who are most disadvantaged.
And Victoria.
Uh PolMin would probably support that s a similar position that we need to protect the rights of those who are disen disenfranchised. So we need to have access for the poor to education and then choice for those who wanna make a choice.
You're on Sunday Night on A B C radio around Australia John Cleary with you. This evening we're asking the question how would Jesus vote. Now you might like to uh to register your opinion on our informal and utterly unreliable poll by giving us a call one-eight-hundred-eight-hundred-seven-oh-two one-eight-hundred-eight-hundred-seven-oh-two. Around Australia if you're in the Sydney metropolitan area you can give us a ring on uh eight-triple-three-one-thousand eight-triple-three-one-thousand on Sunday Night how would Jesus vote.
And on Sunday Night our guests this evening in the studio are Dr Brian Edgar director of theology and public policy with the Evangelical Alliance Victoria Kearney  oh from PolMin a uh a network uh um you can join PolMin actually if you wish to but uh a network of people concerned with uh bringing Catholic social teaching  back into the public policy debate and Paul Newsham of the Northside Christian Life Centre at Gawler in South Australia and of course you one-eight-hundred-eight-hundred-seven-oh-two or eight-triple-three-one-thousand let's say hi to uh to Damian in Ballarat and uh see what Damian has to offer Damian how are you.
Good evening John.
How do you think jee  how do you think Jesus'd vote
Well personally I think he wouldn't vote we cuh couldn't expect him to vote . Not democratic Jesus y'know uh if we take the tax collector uh situation where he was asked or w Jesus was tempted uh and asked what y'know about the the coin that belongs to Caesar 'n' he told him that y'know what belongs to Caesar s y'know . Give him what belongs to him.
Well let me  ask it another way what values do you think he would express.
Well this is the values you wish forwould be God's law that's the whole principle of it. Uh and uh he uh we are imperfect y'know we can't keep the law. So how can you expect him  y'know to vote on .
A a are you going to vote in this election.
Sorry.
Are you going to vote in this election.
Yes
And would you allow your Christian ethics and principles to influence your vote.
Most definitely.
Ah .
And that's the other point . To see the the Christian values when my brothers and sister there are asked these questions I find it hard to comprehend why they can't get their tongue around what are Christian values. They can never seem to put it out y'know.
What are they for you.
For me uh a decent moral life which we are not getting now all you have to do is listen to the  radio T V our screens advertising boards on the road.
So this is personal morality you're talking about here.
I think I don't think it's just personal morality I think it's a a national worldwide morality. Y'know uh if the structure of society uh we don't seem to learn by history. Y'know what .
Do you make a differ a distinction between morality and justice.
Uh I think morality does bring justice without it you cannot have justice that's why we have corruption  that's we wih uh we have uh y'know people uh being uh  s what's the word for it I'm just trying to think but y'know they're not receiving their uh entitlement in life because people are greedy they cheat they lie. Uh all these things add up to an immoral way of life.
And they've certainly been issues that have been canvassed by politicians of both sides in this campaign so.
And how can you expect Jesus then right to vote when he knows that both sides  will not be perfect.
Gee uh I guess that's a question that goes profoundly  to the incarnation does it not uh  Brian.
Well I wonder yeah I I it to some extent I I appreciate s uh Damian's point about what Jesus would do and so uh I I wonder too whether he would uh actually vote but I think for pfls perhaps slightly different reasons to to Damian uh because uh  ih if we imagine Jesus in the fir in the first century and if they'd had y'know full free and fair democratic elections uh  who would he have voted for and I think the the the the passage that Damian pointed us to y'know render to Caesar what is Caesar's and what ih to God what is God's  uh perhaps that mi actually might imply well render to John render to Mark what what belongs to them  uh and render to God what is what is God's um. But I I'd I'd be hard pressed to say uh how how how he'd vote I I wonder whether ih in actual fact he might even be a swinging voter .
Victoria uh can.
Well I m I mean I was sitting here thinking I mean after the debate tonight he might've gone into the temple and thrown the tables over and said I'm not voting for anyone I don't trust  ei either side.
Yeah complicity  in the political  system.
Is this capitalism or is this democracy and this is greed y'know I think his first reaction might have been quite angry. But I think he might have thought about the donkey vote y'know he was inseparable with his donkey wasn't he . But I think he would've given it a lotta thought after a while and started to think about the values a little bit more you know and  and what what it was that. I think he would have cast a vote eventually.
Paul  let me ask you a question here. Uh you mentioned um t the family values up front and ih you've we mentioned your association with the Family First party. What ih  wh what is it that makes you associate Jesus in particular with family values.
Well let me say first of all uh to Damian y'know his comment about us not getting our tongue around Christian values. Uh to me it's very very important that we recognise that righteousness exalts a nation economy and things like that don't but righteousness do that's that's a straight outta the bible statement and I'm a  a unashamed bible believer. Um tt what ih what makes me associate with family values is that what you said.
W no what makes you particularly associate Jesus with family  values.
Well I I I just see um Jesus and the teachings of his disciples for example the apostle Paul are very strong on family values uh y'know particularly you go into Ephesians five and so on. Y you just see the power of family in the teachings there. I think Jesus valued families greatly he valued individuals as well of course and and when we talk families I don't think we just wanna talk about the nuclear family or the husband wife and two kids I think the single mum with two or three children and  a and so on are are family. And because they are individuals uh but because God created family in the first place he has a very deep interest in them but I come back again to the fact that to my understanding family is the basic unit of society. When God created Adam he then created Eve and he put them together on the face of the earth to work together and I don't think that's ever changed. I think.
Well it's it's interesting because when you look at the actually the way Jesus behaved it was actually different to that. You could I mean I'm not denying what you're saying but one could equally if one was getting into a bit of  biblical exegesis as they call it explaining the bible and unpacking it. Y you could actually build a case to say that Jesus was highly anti family in a way. That he actually never got married himself that he went out on the road  that Paul was anti family that Paul said look d only get married if you  if you if you have to y'know there is a better way in fact the church dev uh valued the idea of the single life very much that that this whole building of the family values thing is a really artificial construction that's not to say it's it's it's wrong it may be right but you could equally  build a  build a case the other way could you not.
I think if you if you go through the teachings of Jesus he made statements about family and marriage and how sacred marriage was and a sexual relationship the whole thing so I don't.
Yes but did he make it pre-eminent I guess is what I'm saying.
Well if I if I.
Brian .
I d I don't think it's ei it's one or the other I uh uh wuh uh. I think evangelicals generally would want to have pretty strong stratements  on the on the family side and on the justice side I think part of the problem  has been these two things have been  separated uh too much uh. Somebody looked at our our website during the week and thought we were a bit left. Uh but I think that's only because perhaps they had identified the Christian issues with one side that is the family issues and type of thing which we have statements about uh but anybody who had statements about some of the other issues is obviously left now I think it's a matter  we have s   y'know it's important to have uh from our point of view yuh statements about uh family uh marriage uh uh same sex relationships views views about that as well as uh the justice issues.
Absolutely I  I.
Paul hang on we'll get Victoria in.
Yeah just I just think that Damian made the point about private morality public morality and I think that  in some ways Jesus was a collectivist in that and a communal person because he stood in solidarity with the poor he was seen in groups um he was listening to one group versus the other group so  there he had a public role and a private role in terms of his morality and his failures so.
Let's take some more calls Damian thanks for your call we're gunna have to move on  to uh to Bernard in in Melbourne hello Bernard how are you.
Good evening. Um I'm concerned that uh some of your panel tonight is doing much the same branding that the political parties themselves do. Um to talk about uh evangelism as being on about the family and yet uh the evangelical movement is often  uh vehemently anti same sex relationships and uh glorifying material wealth and material success seems to me is very much anti family  and to talk about the Catholic church as being honour bound uh to common good and justice  when as a Catholic I have to say that the internal administration of the Catholic church resembles farm more Stalinist uh Soviet Union than it does  the mercifulness and forgiveness and compassion of Jesus um really means that br a brand a particular brand is being put forward rather than the truth and in that way resembles the uh the major parties much more than it does the uh simple humble merciful and loving message that Jesus gave.
I think we'd get Victoria to respond to that Victoria.
Okay um I'd like  I'd like to just say that PolMin is not part of the mainstream church. Um we have members who are c obviously Catholics and and our teaching is Catholic but we're we're definitely an independent Catholic lobby organisation which which I guess  um entitles us to our own position whi which doesn't neccessarily reflect the the mainstream of the church.
Are you suggesting you have some sympathy with with what Bernard's saying about the institutional church  er as as religion  with a capital R . Mm.
I means our bishop in in Parramatta came out last week and talked about public morality in voting. Now we would definitely support that and be very proud of the fact that Bishop Manning said that  and we would say that publicly but that doesn't neccessarily mean that  uh PolMin is an independent organisation from the mainstream of of the structure of the church in Australia.
Brian the church does have a bit to answer for as an institution uh be it all all the denominations uh  how does one respond to that do you actually.
Well yes I I think in general the the the point that's made there is is uh one about humility y'know uh who who does speak for God and and do we speak  too decisively uh and the Church probably well cer certainly has at times uh spoken too decisively about uh y'know saying what what God wants and I think we have to uh be very humble in uh in speaking for God but  in a sense not speaking is uh is worse we have to  uh s do and say what we can but recognising w we we don't have the full truth and ih indeed that's actually what lies behind say the um the doctrine of the separation of church and state  uh which is as much a theological as a political doctrine which is saying look there is a certain danger  in in the church trying to pretend that it has all knowledge and can definitively say what what God wants. Um.
Is that the danger of the church become like a political party because it could  achieve government and then be in the position of being both Caesar  and Christ.
Yes there there's there is a t a significant distinction between the separation of church and state which I think is very important doctrine  and the uh separation of Christians and politics now I think Christians should be involved in politics and I don't think they should be separated but they at the formal level of church and state it's uh it's a dangerous thing.
Let's move on to uh to Pam in Melbourne hello Pam welcome.
Hello how  are you.
Good what would you like to say.
Well I'd I think that he would be he would vote for an environmental party because I think we'll all have to answer for what we've done to the creation. And that he would be a socialist because of the values of sharing having enough but not being greedy having compassion being honest and having a stewardship.
Okay Ralph we'll get you to uh sorry we'll get you to respond to that now p Paul rather.
Um I I'm quite that Jesus would be very interested in the environment and very concerned for it and I'm I'm absolutely certain that his values include sharing and so on. I'm not sure whether he would fit into an environmentalist party or a socialist party but I do think that Jesus Christ would vote if he were going to vote and by the way voting is secret in our country so he probably wouldn't ever tell us. Um .
Wh why do you say though you don't think he fit into an environmentalist or a socialist  party.
No I'm saying I'm not sure if he would and I'm not sure where he would throw his persuasion in fact because Jesus would be wanting to see the whole of our society helped and strengthened um and so I think he'd be looking for the opportunity to help in every one of those areas and probably find that each one of the parties fell short in one area. Um for example if he went to an environmental party he might find that there are things in there he didn't like and so he'll go then looking for somewh I don't there's just no perfect  party is there.
I think that's ih if I can say I think that's laid behind my slightly uh cynical comment before that Jesus was a m might be a swinging voter . It's just because it's a little difficult to imagine him saying well  uh look it's all the way with the Liberals or it's it's I'm a dyed in the wool Labor Labor person .
But surely that's what parties like the Christian Democratic party are doing.
Uh well I'd even say look we we y'know that they're the same kind of issues will arise there Christians themselves are not entirely agreed about what Christian values involve so  I I I don't here in Australia I don't eeh I I don't think I've heard  Christian Democrats saying oh look uh  uh this is the only party that somebody uh could possibly vote for I th uh there's more of that in the U S but I think I think we're a little more laid back in Australia . Uh I have had some peoples tell me  uh in the last couple of weeks who who uh who Jesus would not vote for  uh or come pretty close to it but I haven't heard too many people say well  he would only vote for this or that uh party.
Let's go to uh to Mark in the Blue Mountains Pam thanks for your call Mark hi how are you.
Hi good thanks good. Look I I think Jesus would definitely vote I think he would be a social activist I also think he'd be politically very concerned about issues of health education affordable housing and also um work places that offered safety and and and a bit of security and justice. I think he'd be very concerned about contemporary issues of that affect politics of today I I don't  I I wouldn't see him being aligned to uh conservative politics at all I think I think that would be quite alien.
You see that that makes my point about people being more clear about who he wouldn't vote for than the than the who he would.
Maybe so.
Uh ih Mark had you finished your uh your your delineation there.
Yes.
Well we we'll might get another couple of calls in and then come back for some uh some general comments 'cos we've got lots of people calling in  with some opinions on this thanks Mark for your uh for your observations. To Michael in Rooty Hill hello Michael what would you like to say.
How you going. Yeah I I um I I really can't say what I think the Lord would who who who who he'd vote for but I  I I would like to say this that uh w one time he spoke to a um a lawyer who had a y'know the correct theological answer. But uh the Lord pointed out the the missing ingredient which was compassion. And I believe that uh y'know a lot of  Christian politicians and y'know the people that y'know standing up for family values et cetera yeah are doing the the right thing y'know but but we must not miss miss the compassion part. And and by compassion I don't mean y'know watering down values but I mean y'know being conscious of uh y'know certain issues like uh y'know we had the  the asylum seekers at one stage y'know and uh and y sometimes y'know we we can close our hearts and our ears because we're so busy just y'know doing what what we ough what we oughta do but sometimes we we miss out  the ingredient that that has to fit in as well. And I think um y'know there are  certain  Christian groups that that are trying to find a balance and and that's that's where I'd like to um y'know I I mean I I I I do have in mind who I'd like to vote for. Uh and han han an and and comes close to that but um yeah that's ih it's just finding the balance of  of of having the the Christian morals and and the principles which you can't water down but but also having the compassion that comes with it.
Thanks for that observation  Michael uh who'd like to pick that up Brian you were wanting to say something.
Well yes I think I think that Michael's got a good point there uh y'know pointing us towards those values again uh uh uh at the end of the day God is not going to say uh hey did you get an annual growth rate of six percent. He's gunna say did you uh do justly did you love mercy did you show compassion did you walk humbly with God those those are the things that  we're gunna be asked about.
I fully agree with that John and I uh as I've talked with politicians across the board I find some that are moved with compassion 'n' some that aren't and and that's across the board and I I really do think that it all goes back to motive in many ways why are we in there and  and what is our purpose for being there compassion is without a doubt very important 'n' and I ih going back to the asylum seekers which the caller mentioned um I I think if our if we weren't moved with compassion on that one we really need a needed to go back and have a look at our motives. Jesus certainly would have been.
Mm I think I think um y'know in terms of s Mary Magdalene was a prostitute he stood he stood beside her and and saw that her position in society was not just as a result of her personal choice. She nee y'know in terms of access to education in terms of having ih empowering people to live their lives fully I think that's what he would've he would've seen as a priority. And I think that we're getting caught up in um a few extra dollars in our pocket. Will those few extra dollars change society as a whole  for all of us and I think that we need to look beyond just the the short term economic gain and look at how we can empower ourselves as a society as a whole .
Let's go to uh to Caleb at the uh at the Twelve Apostles hello Caleb.
How are you tonight.
Yeah a very significant place to preach from tonight what would you like to say .
Yes that's right um tonight at church we had a friend who's children um h do home schooling and he's um the principal brought out about um the gay marriages been um going for a w while and they got t together with the prime minister and he's like said he's not going to let that happen which was really good and all the Christians got together and um and which I was really pleased to hear it um read out tonight and with their um thing you're talking about the families 'n' everything um. I just just don't know why this day and age all the families like they can't won't that they'll get married sorta thing and not live with each other and I mean Christ wouldn't want that to happen down on earth and that sorta thing so.
Okay well we got uh thuh. Victoria that's tends to be a little ag leaning the other way from what you're saying I mean you gave the illustration of of Christ and the woman caught in adultery and others . Whereas our caller was saying well look you know on the gay marriage thing Jesus'd say no.
Mm I think I think Jesus supported diversity I I think he understood um why people in society who are poor did the things they did or  resorted to and we have the same very similar things that are happening today. Um y'know we look at even security and say terrorism. Is terrorism based on the result of corruption and poverty and fear y'know I mean people I think Jesus would see why these things are happening in our world why and h I think he would be saying look the U N's really important. Y'know we need to work this out cooperatively and rather than y'know.
He was a globalist.
Yes and rather than a blame game y'know like these people are dreadful and it's evil I think he would be saying um let's look at the causes let's work together to sort the problem.
We've got.
Although I agree with although I agree with that comment I think we can't uh lose sight of the fact that Jesus did make very definitive statements about things and the woman taken in adultery he didn't just say poor lady. Although he had incredible compassion for her and I trust that we will but he actually said don't do it anymore.
Did he help her out of her hole though.
Absolutely she would've been a changed woman . But she was empowered to go away and not do it anymore.
And I think that that's what the common good says is that you provide opportunities so people can change not just say that if you work hard and and your you'll find your way out of that hole I think sometimes we need to actually support those who are not able.
Absolutely.
Why is it um Paul do you think that currently the overt appeal in terms of politicians  going for the Christian vote has tended to be focussed almost directly on the appeal to the conservative side of Christianity with with um clearly Peter Costello and Tony Abbott making direct appeals for what they see as Christians who share conservative values. It's almost as though y'know Jesus would vote this way from their perspective . Why does that have such a resonance for them.
I I think part of it is because they have noticed in recent years that the Christians are standing up and saying that we want change and we want things to be the way we believe they should and so for example I was in the meeting where uh Peter Costello spoke to Hillsong um there was something like twenty-one-thousand people present now that's a pretty good place to make your speech. Um now I'm not being totally cynical but I do think that they have realised that the  the the Christians are beginning to rise up and have a voice and so.
But on the f by the same token we've only got a few minutes sorry to cut you off only got a minute or so left. In the Labor party you have people who are just as publicly Christian people like  Beazley reverend  Brian Howard deputy prime minister an  ordained minister  Michael Tate now a  Catholic priest  um Simon Crean uh these are people who are are overt in their Christian resonance yet um uh Brian Edgar they don't seem to .
Well I think part of it is that that the um  uh is that it is the the the evangelical or the or the conservative ends th the where the churches are growing that's where where a lot of the people are at I think that's uh probably part of part of the issue. But it is interesting at the end of the day that Christians tend not to vote terribly differently in terms of proportions to the rest of the population. So they're there voting for for Labor and the and the other parties as well there's not a radical difference.
Final word Victoria.
I'd I'd I'd yes I'd I'd like to just say that I think there's a difference between spirituality and Christian perspective and theh  there is a very strong growth in in spirituality that is progressive in its view.
And more people are gunna take values issues into account do you think.
Yes I think so.
Final word with Victoria Kearney you've been on Sunday Night a debate  about what would Jesus do in the case of the electoral process. More heat than light I suspect but that's the way of these things. Stick around coming up soon Irshad Manji on The Trouble With Islam on Sunday Night on A B C local radio around Australia.
""" Five A M in New York hey. There's gotta be  something to do. Salt Pervert on Super Request hello there my name's Rosie Beaton and it is time for you to take over the airwaves and request a song one-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six  or on your mobile oh-four-two-seven-triple-two-triple-five tonight the scab grab. I have an autographed baseball cap bucket and a newspaper by this act . If you can work out who they are well you might just be the new owner of the baseball cap bucket and newspaper. Bit later on also I'll catch up with Lindsay from Frenzal Rhomb and he's calling in from Sound Check at the Sydney's Metro with the Bouncing Souls tonight and my super selector he calls himself Mark Broomhead.  That can't be right. Perfect Circle on Triple J thanks to Hack and the boys from Today Today."
Outta Melbourne Cut Copy and Going Nowhere on Super Request the Mint Chicks also and Post No Bills. You are with Rosie it's trivia Thursday so if you'd like to take part you might just score yourself two songs on the radio. Dan the man or I should say let's let's address you correctly Dan the road train man.
Hiya Rosie.
Representing Caratha tonight in Western Australia Dan how're you going.
Yeah good good good uh I'm a little upset though.
Why is that Dan.
Well those boys  from the uh Today Today show  calling you anal . Th they do not have the radio time  to go bagging you like that.
Well y'know I'm so glad you called Dan because when I heard them call me anal this afternoon um I got a little bit distressed by that Dan and I gave them the finger through the window . Quite the finger actually quite a big large finger.
Good good good that's what I like to hear no I mean y'know like if y'know people with jokes not laughs  uh are hanging shit on our beautiful Rosie nah.
What's that throwing stones saying.
What's that.
Don't throw.
Oh yeah in a glass house.
Yeah.
Yes yes yes .
Now Dan the thing is I admit  to being organised. I admit.
There's nothing wrong with that.
I I like to have everything in its place and I don't know where it's come from ever since I was little I lined up my dolls on a table.
That's right and and do you share your desk with anybody.
Uh kind of I mean you know people come through and throw crap all over it and I don't care.
Well that's good but y'know they can't I just I it upset me it just got me.
I told them they're not painting a very good picture of me on the radio Dan . And I gave them the finger and I told them that I'm not dressing up for their crappy formal Friday.
Yeah formal Friday fuh.
And  I told them that I shouldn't sit in the studio 'cos I might laugh and people will think they're funny.
That's right and I was almost gunna wear shoes for formal Friday in the truck  but not now. No I'm sticking with the double pluggers.
Ah Dan I like you  and I'm glad that you're actually sticking up for me for those two I don't know what we should call them on the afternoon at three o'clock.
Oh I think I think wuh wuh we'll wait for their retort. I think we'll ah we'll just wait and see what they come up with and then we'll bag them totally.
Oh I told them they'd better watch out 'cos I might just divert their phones to some particular one-nine-hundred number they don't wanna know about.
You see what they forget Rosie is that you get the last call on Friday . We can just wipe them out.
That's right Dan wipe them out . Have you got some sorta horn in your road train tonight.
Ah look I wish I I'm not gunna push it because my air horns aren't working and I've got like a little electric horn that sounds like a mini.
Ah you duh you want an a nice loud rocking horn do you Dan.
Yeah yeah like if ih ah no I'm going uphill I was gunna put the jake brake on for you but   I can't do it I can't do it Rose.
Alright well Dan can you send out a message 'cos I know the boys of Today Today are listening to Super Request.
Yeah.
Send them a message from Dan the road train man in Caratha Western Australia.
Boys Rosie's given me your rego numbers. Now I'll be over that way next week so look out.
Your tyres are going down boys.
See you Rosie.
Bye Dan.
B bye.
Ah the Cat Empire that is actually for Shane in Brisbane tonight Days Like These and I know if you are in Ballarat you'll be pretty excited because the Cat Empire are performing  at Granary Lane Theatre this evening and tomorrow Cat Empire at the Wodonga civic centre and you can head to their gig guide on the Triple J website and find out where the Cat Empire are coming near you for their national tour Triple J dot net dot A U. Speaking of the net I get a lotta emails and some of them are pretty damn out there and I got an email from Marianna who is one of my O S requesters in Canada how are you Marianna.
It's a good song isn't it brand new on Triple J Super Request and Sick Transit Gloria and also Deep Child and the Blackness of the Sea one-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six it is trivia Thursday and tonight we'll attack a a few questions like  the strongest muscle in the human body and how many people choke on ballpoint pens every year. Apparently  I've got a a figure here and I don't know about that if that's Australian or U S whatever. Hello Mark.
Hey Rosie.
Now I did say your surname on radio before and I thought you were having a go. But you're not.
No no uh well I I had to grow up with it so y'know.
Sincere apologies Mark . Sincere. Mark  Broomhead. Mark Broom Head .
Don't wear it out.
I like that Mark. It's different uh 'cos I get uh lots of requests for the mixed bag and sometimes  people call them all kinds of things you n c call themselves all kinds of things and I thought you were having a go I'm sorry . Mark Broomhead  well you know to make you feel better I I'm Rosie Beaton so you can imagine the  jokes I got at school as well Rosie beaten egg Rosie beat off you know you name it so we're both in in a similar bag there Mark.
Yeah.
Great mixed bag what have you programmed.
Um well the first one was the the Cants um Complications.
Mhm.
And the second one was the Pixies um Here Comes Your Man.
Ah what a great song.
Yeah love that one and the last one is the Hilltop Hoods.
Hilltop Hoods but not only is it the last one you've selected  something.
Yeah no it's the um the Triple J live one that was w on Adam and Will's show the other morning.
No  problem I can definitely do one of those every hour for you tonight Mark.
Fantastic.
If you were actually  what are your sisters names sisters or brothers.
Um I've got six.
Six.
Yeah yeah.
So what're  all their names.
Uh Anne Elizabeth Jane Damian Mary-Anne and Louise.
So what'd  you say to your dad when you got a  surname like that.
Oh well I kind of kind of thought maybe he would've requisitioned a name change at at  some point but. But no it's kind of memorable so y'know.
I reckon  it's a little bit different and um it's always good to to have a laugh at your  surname I reckon.
And I'm the youngest so y'know.
So you got  the most  you got the l the the less.
I copped the least yeah.
You got the least because   you're last and everyone's over it by then.
Yeah totally.
Alright Mark well sincere apologies I'm sorry I thought  you were having a go and um enjoy your mixed bag tonight.
I will.
For Mark Broomhead .
Thanks Rosie.
It's a good name Mark it's a good strong name.
The Waifs and Bridal Train on Super Request and also the Mark Lanegan Band and meta er uh metham  hang on I've gotta have a look at this again.  Methamphetamine Blues oh Lotus I need a bit of hand with that word.
Don't ask me for too much help with that.
How are you Lotus.
Very good.
I was talking earlier to Mark Broomhead our super selector this evening what's your surname.
Nutter. Lotus Nutter's my name.
Lotus Nutter of Mullumbimbi.
Yeah.
That's really your name.
Yeah I've had that since birth .
Wow 'cos um Darren broom uh Darren I think his name was  Darren Dustpan just called in.
Oh yeah.
Darren Dustpan so there are quite a few interesting names out there.
For certain.
So do you get a bit of crap for that.
Oh mostly primary school was about the worst I reckon by.
Yeah.
By the time I hit high school no one pretty much hassled me any more.
Nah people just go oh okay . That's interesting . Welcome to trivia Thursday Lotus Nutter.
Uh thank you Rosie.
Would you like a question on chewie um crossing the road muscles or pens.
That again.
Would you like a question on chewing gum.
Chewing gum no.
Names pens crossing the road or muscles.
Um names.
Names.
Yeah why not.
Which musician changed his name from Brian Warner. Was it Jack White of the White Stripes. Marilyn Manson Chris Martin from Coldplay or Craig from the Vines.
Um Jack White from the White Stripes.
Jack White oh .
Well.
Mr Marilyn Manson was Brian Warner as a little baby boy.
I was listening to that trivia um piece on Marilyn Manson some time ago and I didn't remember that bit but .
Ah well least you had a go anyway. Nice talking to you.
No worry no worries Rosie .
See you Lotus some Sneaker Sex for you okay .
Excellent thankyou bye.
See you later Lotus.
The Von Bondies tonight on Super Request happens to be the feature album of the week Pawn Shoppe Heart and that's for Emma in Penrith tonight and also Diverse  Uprock and also for Lotus Nutter in Mullumbimbi he wanted to hear Sneaker Sex Friendly. Now there is a particular band on their second date of their tour around Australia they are Blink one-eight-two how are you Nelson.
Hello.
Where do you live.  Where do you live Nelson.  Hello Nelson.
Hello the phone's like cutting out I can't really hear.
Ah where do you live Nelson.  Hello Nelson.
Hello.
Where do you live Nelson.  No I don't think he's gunna talk to me tonight. Nelson you need a new phone. Anyway Blink one-eight-two tonight in Melbourne at Festival Hall.
Blink one-eight-two Feeling This. For Nelson in Coffs Harbour tonight. And yes they are touring uh last night at Festival Hall tonight also in Festival Hall in Melbourne Saturday night in Adelaide at the Entertainment Centre  Sunday they'll be at the Rocket Festival in Perth then off to Sydney Tuesday and Wednesday of next week and Thursday  and also Friday Brizzie they can sell some shows can't they Blink one-eight-two  and I will be talking to Travis of the band next week. And that's where you come in um I'd love to ask some questions from you  so you need to head to the Super Request site and put your name where you live and the question you'd like to ask Travis the drummer of Blink one-eight-two next week when I go and meet him at a particular strange location next week. Now I have had Lotus Lotus from Mullumbimbi Lotus Nutter on the Radio Mark Broomhead our super selector. This is getting a little out of hand. What's your name.
Is are you talking to me Rosie.
That's right.
It's Mark  yeah.
Mark who.
Mark Manboobs.  It's actually Hungarian name and uh pronounced uh man bob but it's spelt man boob so everyone calls me Mark Manboobs.
Are you for real.
Yeah yeah.
You're not from that show uh at three o'clock on Triple J called Today Today are you in a funny voice.
No Rosie no um.
Are you sure.
Yeah .
And what's your second name.
Manboobs.
What's your actual middle name then.
Oh my middle name.
Yeah.
Oh future prime minister of Australia.
And where  do you live.
Um I'm a uh I'm an aspirational voter from Western Sydney.
You're a what sorry.
I'm an aspirational voter from Western Sydney.
Are you so you're not heading to Kirribilli tonight as the future prime prime minister.
No not tonight but you know hopefully by the end of the year I might uh you know change my residence.
So have you been jogging with Mark tonight.
Oh I'm not sure if Mark's uh real about his uh exercise regime I  can't imagine him getting slim and taut like  y'know  you know how  well Labor leaders usually look look at Kim Beazley.
Mark Manboobs. Alright if you can prove I wah I want a picture of you and your birth certificate sent to me here at Super Request Mark Manboobs.
I I'll see what I can do.
See what I can do. That sounds very promising. Mark Manboobs. That's it no more funny names.
Requested by Dozzo in Croydon tonight T Z U and Good Dog on Super Request P-Money also Remember one-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six fresh music news coming up for you. And also the Joystick Junkie will review a brand new game.
Hello Speed Request.
G'day it's Lindsay here from Frenzal Rhomb I'd like to request When You Are Asleep I Auction your Arse by Holly Vallance.
How are you Lindsay.
Did I get it did I get the Speed Request.
Which one did you want I just heard stick it in your arse.
No it was When You are Asleep I Auction your Arse it's by Holly Vallance it's a brand new single it's gunna be a hit man  great stuff.
Ah Lindsay Lindsay Lindsay  where are you right now.
I don't know I'm jet lagged it's four A M and I'm in fact I'm just out the back of uh the Metro in George Street in the city I'm uh at Mother Chu's Vegetarian Kitchen. It's my bloody birthday goddamn it.
Happy Birthday.
Well ih it was actually two days ago but y'know birthdays go for a week in the rock and roll industry.
They certainly do .
I'm having I'm doing the most rock and roll thing I can possibly think of and having dinner with my parents.
And what did they give you for your birthday Lindsay.
Uh my mother gave me a  an organic fruit juicer. Hell no.
An organic fruit  juicer.
Absolutely and uh my dad gave me a very humorous Leunig T-shirt with a Mark Latham comic on it because  he's a funny man. What's that sorry.
What does it say Manboobs.
No it's uh some strange Leunig comic I didn't get to read it I'm sure it's very humorous and subversive I don't know.
Your your dad's pretty good at giving you the crazy T-shirts.
He does he does yeah uh dads like to do that I don't quite get it myself.
What's where have you been what's been the latest with Frenzal Rhomb.
Oh goodness we got back from Europe bit like two days ago fact my birthday present from the world was getting to sit on a plane for twenty-five hours . To get back from uh from London Heathrow but it was cool yeah we spent twenty-one days in Europe touring with the Dropkick Murphys and uh Roger Miret from Agnostic Front new little pop rock combo.
Righto  the Dropkick Murphys are about to come here too so  maybe you'll meet up with them.
Yeah we're hooking up with them in Adelaide we'll swab the decks finger each other in the arses y'know all that sorta shit.
So did you do the uh the joy to the world photo that you do so well on your website.
We d we did I did indeed and you think I have I have offended so many people with that thing around the world  we were doing it y'know we were doing it like the the monument all over the place everyone's like. Were in Dublin and I think I upset a few hard-core Catholics over there.
What what new photos have you got on your website have you loaded them up yet.
Oh I've uh in fact we just uploaded today a whole bunch of photos from our gig at the Astoria in London  and a whole bunch of stuff of us getting drunk and putting our fingers up  sleeping people's noses and stuff like that.
And for anyone who hasn't seen your joy to the world finger to the world . What's your website again Lindsay.
It is Frenzalrhomb dot com dot A U.
And you can um.
And it's uh got it's got a brand new look too and you can make our heads explode on the front page of the website it's very cool it's very exciting.
Oh you've gotta be into that.
Absolutely.
So um you gave the finger to quite a few new y'know  international monuments.
So many international monuments on this tour it was amazing.
What do your parents say when they see that.
They don't know how to use the computer they're about a hundred years old.
Now you're touring with the Bouncing Souls  tell me about them.
They're tremendous we just sort of said g'day to them today they're uh we've been mates with them for years done like the Warped Tour in America with them and stuff. They're uh yeah they're from New Jersey they sing songs that go whoah oh oh ooh oh.
Wheeh di dah di dah.
Which is great and they uh sing about having fun and stuff 'n' it's really cool and they like when we make jokes about them and call them rude words 'n' they do the same thing to us  so we get on fine.
So um is it sort of like a competition between the two bands as to who can be the crudest for their warm up.
Nah not so far. So far they're oh they're they're tougher than us 'cos they've got tattoos and shaven heads so  we're kind of scared to do anything at the moment but uh y'know as as I'm sure as the as the days wear on we'll we'll wear them down and we'll get to do what we need to do with them.
So do you play who drinks the fastest gets the most.
Of course who ge who ge who drinks the fastest gets the most drunk I guess that'd be about it.  And embarrasses themselves the most.
And Lindsay when's the follow up to Sans Souci.
It's well actually in a couple of days time we're bringing out a brand new uh C D which is called For the Term of Their Unnatural Lives  and it's a compilation of all our old stuff that people can't buy any more unless they look in the bargain bins of uh your local K Mart. Uh yeah so it's got like our first two releases and a bunch of B sides and stuff that the first time around we didn't think was very good but now we're just trying to flog it off for a couple of extra bucks.
And are you gunna have a D V D component.
No I don't know I mean.
Ah come on.
Oh we're gunna oh we're very lazy you know .
Oh come on I'd love to see behind the scenes with you guys.
Well we we've got a whole bunch of video footage that we're ready to put into a D V D but we we're not very good at that sort of technological aspect of it.
You just hand it over to someone else.
Yeah we could but then they'd sorta take out all the good bits and make us look like the Backstreet Boys and we prefer  to look like the back side boys so well we're working on it ourselves once we get the necessary technology together we'll definitely be bringing out a D V D.
Lindsay do you reckon your mum or dad'll go on the radio and say hello.
Um well they're kind of in the restaurant and I'm outside looking at all the heroin addicts so it might be a bit hard I can  put on my dad's voice and pretend.
Ah no that's alright.
Hello it's uh it's Peter McDougal here uh uh the lin I would  like to have Lindsay stop going on the radio please.
And how's Jay's secret back room going.
Ih Jay's oh  yes no we can't talk about that too much on the air but  let me just tell you his gardening skills have uh ih ih ec have expanded exponentially. He's uh he's he's really a master of horticulture at the moment.
Oh he's a good man kisses  to the rest of the band from me.
Thank you very much Rose  we shall see you very soon I'm sure.
Oh look um I hope you have a good gig tonight at the Metro  then you're off to Blacktown R S L.
Blacktown R S L tomorrow night yeah it's gunna be sweet.
Then off to Richmond Newcastle Gold Coast Brisbane Canberra Adelaide.
doesn't stop it stop doesn't stop I tells you.
I hope  your mum brought you the seven days of Rio undies.
Oh my mum actually brought me uh a homeo a hoh m my mum owns a health food store and she brought me a homeopathic kit to keep me alive on the road . So that'll be good but everyone's gotta come down to the Annandale on the twenty-sixth of this month to see the Bouncing Souls they're doing their own headline show which means we don't get to play which is better for everyone. And uh everyone's gotta come and uh throw things at them.
Ah so you get to stand up the front 'n' 'n' and um  give them the shit.
Abso and get drunk without having to worry about playing the right chords afterwards.
Ah well Lindsay nice talking to you thanks for  speed requesting.
I'll speed request any time Rosie.
Punch in the Face for you.
Cheers.
Boob Scotch Bob Log the Third as requested for Fantahead who is heading to Tullamarine airport as we speak heading onto a plane and I think Fantahead I don't know if you're a girl or a guy but you needed a particular Boob Scotch tonight. Big thanks to uh Lindsay of Frenzal Rhomb happy twenty-sixth birthday to you Lindsay. Have a fantastic night of course Frenzal Rhomb and the Bouncing Souls performing tonight  at the Metro in Sydney. The scab grab continues scabs if you can work out who this is . I might play it again . One-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six tonight scabs I have an autographed bucket  newspaper and also a baseball cap from that act. Hello Seamus.
Hello how are you.
Watching videos all day.
Yes.
What videos did you watch.
Ah  ah l that Lilo and Stitch and just basic kids videos from babysitting.
Oh okay what were the other ones. Haven't seen that one.
Huh Cinderella unfortunately.
Yes.
And um.
Nothing's changed with Cinderella over the years.
No still same old.
Yeah.
And um yeah sort of a bit brain numbing can't remember the rest.
But you had a good day though.
Yeah it was okay.
You had a good day are you lucky enough to head to Radiohead next month.
No I wish I could.
Yeah it's gunna be pretty amazing though isn't it.
Ah yeah definitely.
Never mind we might have um  a live recording from Triple J you never know . Bring it to all of us.
That would be great.
See you Seamus.
Bye.
He's quite the dragon A S Dragon  Are We Talking Enough from their Spank C D one-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six. John Frusciante coming up for you very soon how are you Tash in Woy Woy.
I'm really good how are you Rosie.
I'm excellent. Now being  being a a lady of the New South Wales Central Coast.
Yes.
Are you familiar of um Erina Fair.
Yes it's a great place.
Have you  been to the A B C store there.
Yes I have.
You know there's a studio there.
No I didn't.
Ah well I'm gunna actually broadcast on a Thursday night from the A B C studios at that  A B C shop.
When.
I'm not sure yet next month  I think.
Fantastic I'll definitely come and see you.
Just gotta get through a few of those big wigs and I'll be there for Thursday night shopping at Erina Fair broadcasting live so Tash you better come and say hello.
I'm gunna definitely come and say hello to you.
And I know from where the studio is if you go there and have a look the studio looks straight onto the ice skating rink down that sort of um  courtyardy area.
Yeah it's called the um the beehy or the Hive it's called.
Ah I like how they've actually put little pictures that oh well actually kind of mosaic things that the kids have made or something in the .
Yes yes yes I've seen that.
So Tash when Super Request come to the New South Wales Central Coast for to Erina Fair I want you there.
I'll be there.
I think you need to assist me in um keeping me in time and all that sort of thing Tash.
I would love to .
Are you ready for trivia Thursday.
Yes I'm ready.
Okay now this is an apparently question because I'm not sure if it's based in the U S  or Australia it's kind of like  uh look take a stab at the dark whatever. And because  it's a whatever y'know I might just let you have two songs on the radio Tash.
Oh oh okay.
Now apparently  how many people choke to death on ballpoint pens ever year . Is it twenty-five which is  quite weird it's quite hard to  choke on a ballpoint pen I hope.
Yeah well I haven't done it myself but y'know.
Maybe they're thinking about those little things that fall out of the top of them.
Y oh yeah yeah .
Y'know when you eat the tip.
Yeah  yeah when you're thinking.
So how many people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year and by the way for young ears listening do not try this . Is it twenty-five fifty-eight one-hundred or apparently eight-hundred people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year Tash.
Oh gosh I'd hate to think it's uh eight-hundred but I'm gunna go with that.
You're gunna go with eight-hundred.
Yeah .
Oh  .
Am I am I way off.
I was gunna give you a little hint and say one-hundred.
Oh  oh  well yeah hang on a sec is it one-hundred.
Yes.
Alright.
But as I said because it's an apparently and I don't actually know what the answer is or because it's a bit of a y'know borderline question.
Matt the rat probably made it up.
Uh actually uh mad Madeleine did.
Oh mad Madeleine okay.
So Eskimo Joe for you what's your second selection Tash the pash.
Um um um um what would I like  um I know what about a bit of Muse.
Bit of Muse for you.
Yeah Time is Running Out would be great.
Time is Running Out uh thirty-one-thousand-four-hundred-and-eighty-eight.
Beautiful.
That's the C D number.
Oh great.
There you go Tash the Pash.
Thank you Rosie.
New Eskimo for you.
Fantastic.
Uh Tash in Woy Woy you're the woman Eskimo Joe From the Sea for you. And just then Muse and Time is Running Out Robbie Buck.
Sure is for you.
You've got your uh .
Forty minutes.
Oh I know.
Then bam outta there.
Whackadoo. Hey Robbie you've got your favourite um shirt on today I like that one.
The country and western one.
Yeah bling bling bling bling bling  bling bling.
I met Beck in this one.
You met be oh is that the famous Beck shirt.
Yeah.
And he didn't sign it for you.
No but I got my photo taken with him.
Did you.
That's good enough isn't it.
Can you bring that in one time.
I don't know if I can find it it was on my fridge for a while but uh  it might have bit lost underneath the fridge. Anyway look coming up tonight after nine uh a band that show that perseverance definitely pays off uh a group from Ballarat which is in country Victoria who have been working on their latest album for about two years and finally after  they had to go they didn't have enough money to finish the album so they'd go and do a gig and then they'd go and work on another song .
Can I guess.
Woohoo.
Does it start with E.
Yes it does.
Oh  I'm not saying any more.
Mm think Armies Against Me think Life Sentence . Yeah anyway those guys um we'll be hearing a little bit of their album and uh catching up with the guys from e e pi c ure .
Um and also we'll be catching up with the band who um South by Southwest kicks off next week and that's a huge music conference in Texas America where  where bands f from all over the world  congregate and um hopefully get signed up and people give them lots of money and whatever but at least they get to to go there. You can only go there if you've been invited this year it's the biggest Australian contingent in  the history of the conference and a number of bands are currently just trying to get the last few bucks together so they can get the plane fares to get over there and tonight there's a a fundraiser going off on and off and um Cazza Tran's gunna be out there we're gunna be catching up with some of the bands to find out.
I've been to  Austin Texas and it's quite the rocking city in fact there's a huge university there so hence a lot of live rock and roll and there's a there's a main drag called Guontalumpi  Street and there's a man there and you actually go in there to be abused he says you want fries with those thighs . That's Austin Texas for you Robbie Buck.
Well I guess the bands who are gunna h there next weekend will be looking forward to a little bit of that Austin  hospitality.
Now uh Matt on the Gold Coast wants to hear a particular song that you played last night thank you Matt and also  how are you Clarence.
Pretty good.
Now I heard  the song too and it did keep me in the car and I looked up at the moon and went whoa that's a cool song.
It is.
So tell us about it Robbie.
Uh this is actually a song that's been sent in anonymously the uh it's a D J and producer but they wouldn't tell us who their names were but they put this together over  obviously the last twelve months as uh you know a a certain war was going on and they've been sort of filing through the  the news footage and put together a track they've called it Weapons of Mass Destruction.
My goodness and they're definitely good with the scissors.
They are very good with the scissors. You need to be these days don't you.
See you Clarence.
Wooh thanks Rosie .
How good's that song haven't heard it on the radio for quite some time for Matt in Melbourne I imagine when you speed requested Matt and you said easy that you wanted something off the Easy C D so I just took executive decision and went for Secrets Grinspoon just for you. The new Vines coming up and don't forget you must listen to Mel in the Morning from nine o'clock as we play  the whole album Winning Days from back to back on Mel in the Morning tomorrow. How are you there Sarah in Adelaide.
Fantastic thank you.
Happy happy joy joy.
Absolutely.
Alright the scab grab is on are you a good scab.
Absolutely yes.
Tonight I have an autographed bucket.
Okay sure.
Newspaper.
Yeah.
And actually a baseball cap as well.
Wonderful.
From this act . Who do you think it is.
Everything is Everything by Phoenix.
No.
Ah no.
Ah . I just thought I'd put you out of your misery.
Okay that's good to know thanks .
So you have to keep guessing and I'll conclude it very soon okay.
Okay wonderful thank you.
See you Sarah.
Okay bye.
Brian.
Yeah.
Welcome are you a good scab.
Uh uh yeah I can be.
I think we've all got a bit of scab in us.
We do.
Who's this .
Is it Everlast.
Close but no. Same sort of guitar I think though Brian.
Mm.
Keep guessing.
Of course he is from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers John Frusciante A Mission on Super Request actually that was actually track one so I must actually say that's Song to Sing When I'm Lonely. Naughty me Louis in Melbourne good evening to you.
Hello Rosie.
It's been quiet the scab grab tonight Louis.
Yeah.
Do I say Lewis or Louis.
Louis.
Louis okay. Louis.
Yes.
Who's this .
John Butler.
Are you sure.
Yes .
Do you know what tune.
Uh Treat Your Mama.
Oh  you're the winner.
Awesome.
You know you were up against another girl who got the exact tune as well so congratulations the scab grab coming your way okay.
Cool.
Baseball cap.
Yep.
An autographed Street Press.
Yeah.
And also a bucket.
Yeah.
Not bad eh.
Yeah.
Don't forget the encore of John Butler Trio on Sunday at five. See you Louis.
See you Rosie.
As you know the boys on Today Today are having formal Friday tomorrow and yeah I suppose I'll put on a bit of an effort. But I thought we'd have feral Friday here at Super Request where you can request in your undies and wear no shoes. And Ian in Darwin reckons that we should have freeball Friday what do you think of that Sam. You into a bit of freeballing.
Y'know I got freeball and feral going at the same time here at the moment it's disgraceful.
Sam you're a sick man in uh I don't mean I mean that literally you've got the flu .
Yeah .
You poor thing . Is someone taking care of you and giving you lots of fluids.
Ah I got some salad for dinner so that's okay.
You got some salad are you drinking lots of water Sammy.
Yeah I have I just I just finished my two litres so.
Two litres.
I'm getting better .
Ah you poor thing.
Talking's not very good at the moment.
I think you'll be going in um. To the toilet a bit  tonight .
All going well.
Are you not you're sure you're not sleeping with Nat the rat.
Nat no I'm.
'Cos Nat the rat's sick tonight too. Ah hang on  hang on. You sure you're not with Nat the rat.
Uh I had some mice in my house but I killed them with Ratsak but I don't think so.
Oh maybe she's one of them.
Well  hope not. Poor thing.
Well it's time it's time for me to say goodbye now Sam would you like to say goodnight Australia.
Goodn goodnight Australia.
And hello Robbie Buck.
Uh hello Robbie.
I hope you're feeling better.  I must say thanks  to mad Madeleine and Milo tonight. And get well Nat the rat I know you're out there partying I know where you are. Gus and Frank.
"""  you're with Mel in the morning it's fourteen after eleven which means it is Dr Karl time. Good morning."
Good morning we're having a multimedia extravaganza here.
We are there's a lotta things going on over your side of the desk.
And on your side we've got you in the picture we've got Danielle working the webcam and occasionally you can see that I've brought in in honour of the uh f topic of today which is water a book by Philip Ball called H two O a Biography of Water and I now realise how little I really know about water.
A biography of water so has water had an interesting life and done a lot of things.
Well it goes around and around every time you're drinking in some water you're drinking uh several million molecules that were urinated out by Jesus Christ or moh and Mohammed and uh Salvador Dali and Napoleon and everybody else you care to think of.
What a fantastic way to look at it.
Just goes around and around and around.
Oh that's gunna freak me  out in many a quiet moment Dr Karl l let's just jump straight into it shall we . Naomi from Adelaide good morning.
Good morning.
Thank you  so much for holding.
You're so welcome.
Now fire away question for Dr Karl about water.
I'm actually wondering whether the amount of water on the earth can ever change so whether there can be any more or any less.
Uh both are happening. Um if you look at uh any say gas or liquid the molecules are y'know jittering around. Some of them are going slow most of them are going at the average piece uh s s speed and a small number of them are going really really fast. So think about water vapour  y'know little molecules of  hydrogen  with an angle of a hundred and four point five degrees according to this fine book in a so it looks like a little boomerang H two O and some of them are moving fast enough to beat the escape velocity of planet earth which is about I think eleven kilometres per second so off they go and they don't come back.
Oh so they actually escape  the earth's atmosphere and they're away.
A and they're gone but the theory is that there are meteors no ast uh sorry little comets hitting the earth's atmosphere all the time  and injecting water into our atmosphere. And occasionally they're very big normally it's y'know a tonne here a tonne there  uh yeah just sorta pitter pattering away all the time but occasionally these incoming comets are so big that American presidents have been woken because it's been thought there's been a nuclear burst in the upper atmosphere and the amount of energy is equal to the amount of energy released by a nuclear burst so you've got water molecules escaping  because some of them got enough escape veloh they're moving fast enough to escape and you've got more coming in and I don't know where the exact balance whether it's more one way or the other.
But generally around the same level.
Ish ish you're not gunna find the oceans changing a lot.
Oh there  you go Naomi you feeling satisfied.
Yes thank you very much.
Excellent  no worries mate now Fiona you got a question for Dr Karl this morning.
Uh yeah I do.
Fire away.
Um my question is um when water is absorbed through the body  um uh you have these products on the market at the moment and they're saying that they're water but they're actually being like slightly flavoured with different products. Does the body still recognise that as water.
So these cordials that they uh term sports water that they think is just fantastic for us.
Yes.
Well yes and no sometimes your body can't recognise water. Until fairly recently say twenty years ago we used to have fifteen million children dying every year from the terrible five Ds which were infectious disease leading to diarrhoea dehydration and death. And so you've got these little kids and it's really scary when they're under eighteen months although even in a full size adultlike me or Mel or Danielle um or even Bernie Collie and Tristan downstairs in the lab. Sucking up to them as well. In a full size adult if you're hit with major diarrhoea from cholera you can lose ninety litres of water a day.
What.
Wow.
You don't have ninety litres so well before  the fir the first day is gone you're dead you've dehydrated your way out of existence but we adults are fairly tough it's the little kids under eighteen months they can just drop off the perch. And so you've got these kids who are dehydrating  and you're thinking okay I'll shove some water down their neck mate it just goes straight through. And one of the great inventions of the twentieth century was the realisation that if you added the right amount of salts to make it somewhere around the the saltiness of blood they could absorb it. And suddenly to rehydrate a kid you didn't need an expensive needle giving set and bags and pipes which'd be per head the total budget of some third world country. You've just got this sachet stuff called gastrolite is one brand there's other brands we took some to India 'n' Nepal with us and you just add water to it in the right amount and then you drink it and your body can absorb it. So you're right what you're saying  that y'know like sometimes pure water you can't absorb . And you gotta add chemicals to it and then the other way round sometimes the chemicals that have been added may or may not stop you from uh absorbing it I don't know I do know that if you're having some of the sports drink they'll help set off a stitch.
Really.
Yeah.
Which seems to be a contradictory to what they should do.
Well there's a guy called Darren Morton who's at the Avondale college north of around Newcastle ih in New South Wales  and he's been looking at the stitch and there's been y'know what what the heck's going on when you got a stitch. Like you think oh it's because you're not very well trained y'know and but uh y'know like one fifth of highly trained athletes you couldn't train any more they'd drop dead  get stitches and you say oh it's because you're you're bouncing up and down all the stuff inside your gut is bouncing up and down and sort of going along with that is the fact that you've got these guys in the begin in towards the end of the second world war um uh whole lot of troops going from England to France they did some practise runs in these boats bouncing up and down  they got stitches. Not not running just standing in one spot they're going up and down they get the stitches so you think  okay it's because the organs are bouncing up and down but then on the other hand you have swimmers now swimmers don't bounce around. And they get stitches one fifth of y'know  Olympic grade s swimmers get stitches so they think it's the twisting of the ligament uh uh ih ih it's the membrane that covers your entire gut which goes from the bottom of your lungs to the top of your legs it's called the peritoneal  uh membrane  and this membrane absorbs uh it can be irri irritated and when you've had a big meal uh or you've dun drunk some of these sports drinks  the sports drinks are the wrong saltiness and they demand water from everywhere and some of it comes from the  the the the gut wall and some of it comes from this membrane the peritoneum. Uh.
Right 'cos the body has to equalise  the the salts right.
So ih ih it's a f it's a fairly complicated question like  you'd have to look at each individual sports drink and see if they work 'cos some of them they've said oh well I've just made this up over the years and it works with .
So they have to be isotonic don't they.
Yeah well some uh this I don't know. Um um I think it should be isotonic which means the same saltiless  a as the human body but I'm not sure because I I I just haven't chased this up maybe somebody can email us and tell us on the homepage.
Oh nice one Fiona thanks for your call mate.
Alright cool thanks.
It's a very deep question Fiona  . Very deep.
Have you got a little baby in the background there mate.
Oh yeah I've got a three month old in my arms here. So yeah.
Oh really does your baby sleep during the night.
Uh yes she does.
I'm so  glad for you and I'm so jealous oh you you too . You lucky thing. At least somebody's happy.
I put her down at six and she won't wake up till maybe six.
Oh  stop it  stop it now  you're just  being a show off  Fiona . See you later mate you have a good day.
Yeah you too.
Now  Scott you got a question for Dr Karl.
Dr Scott.
Yeah I do indeed uh good morning Dr Mel duh good morning Dr Karl.
Good morning.
Uh it's actually raining here in Caloundra as we're speaking so water's falling from the sky.
Nice.
Caloundra is  suburb wuh.
North Sunny Coast.
Sunny co is that l lower Queensland.
Yes.
Uh just north of Brisbane dot Dr Karl.
North of Las Vegas okay yep.
Beautiful part of the world. Um.
very nice fruit up there too.
Yeah indeed. Just uh wanna follow up on a movie I saw a couple of years ago um Escape of the Birdmen where they extracted scientists that were working on the Germans' nuclear program for and they were using heavy water. I just wanna know what heavy water is and whether it's safe enough to have an application today instead of using uranium.
Oh okay um there's an atom called hydrogen which is this y'know there's a whole bunch of elements.
Yep.
Y'know and y'know hydrogen iron sulfur. They're all elements and you can't break them down much further with ordinary chemistry  and there's one called hydrogen which is the smallest one and it's got in a core it's got one proton  and it's got one neutron proton's positive and then going around it's got a single electron I'm just holding this up to the camera here . For for Mel there see s you got a central core proton  and neutron in in a central core and you got an electron one single electron going around it and that's about as simple as you can get for an atom.
Right.
Now  there's one proton and one neutron. Heavy water can have two neutrons or three neutrons with the same number of electrons and protons  and the neutrons are what are necessary to make a nuclear reaction happen . So you've got yourself let's go to the other end of the scale uranium big heavy element  and it's got a central core and you're sort of thinking central core but mate it's not a hard little thing like an orange or a golf ball it's wobbling around like jelly on a plate and every now and then it breaks down by itself.
Oh okay.
If you throw neutrons at it you make it break. And when you throw in one neutron you get three neutrons off. Man you're on the way to a chain reaction you're gunna have major major   uh big big kabooms is the technical term or the stuff that goes bang is the other term as well.
Yeah.
So heavy water is a a purely manufactured substance it doesn't exist naturally in the world.
Oh it it does in very small percentages and you've gotta filter it out and it's really really really oh hello we've got a picture of it on the web cam. Thank you Danielle. Okay everybody capture that picture. There's a proton and a neutron in the middle so we've done that  so it it does exist and you've just gotta filter it out and because it's got so many more neutrons it has certain uses with making things go bang and killing other people.
Oh that's no good.
No.
Um but.
The th there is a g good trick you can do with it. You make ice out of it. And it sinks. And you g  you do this do this.
That'd be a good party trick.
Yeah y ah well  trouble is it's really expensive so you gotta try and y'know s so okay I've gotta get it out and put it into so separate container now because it's really expensive but  boy does that mess with people's minds when the ice sinks.
I don't know what kind of party you'd be having  to use that one as a party trick Scott and if for your guests to actually be impressed by it.
Yeah .
Good on you mate thanks for your call Scott.
Thanks a lot.
Thank you Dr Scott.
Let's take a track right now from T Z U we're talking to Dr Karl about water so please give us a call one-eight-hundred-oh-triple-five-three-six you're on Triple J twenty-four after eleven.
And uh that track we heard was Holy Roman before that out of Melbourne T Z U gave us Good Dog from uh their record Position Correction you're with Mel in the morning and Dr Karl talking about water and showing us some amazing pictures on your little computer there Karl.
That's right the Hubble space telescope the Hubble space telescope has done this um ultra deep picture they did a deep picture where they just stared the telescope at a boring bit of sky where there was nothing  and they saw all these galaxies and now they've done the ultra deep which is like staring through a five metre long straw at a tiny bit of sky  and you can download it off the Hubble space site it's just come down yesterday either the uh forty-four K version or the five-hundred K version or because I'm at the university the hundred and twenty meg version . And um it took a whole ten minutes to download shucks what a long time  there must be a lotta traffic and you just look at this picture and there's a few spots and you just go in and in and you see galaxies and galaxies there's ten thousand galaxies there. If.
It's just amazing because you look at the picture initially and it looks mwih  a bit blah . Yeah a few  pinholes in a piece of black cardboard  and as you go in and in and in these amazing spiralling galaxies.
Galaxies and each galaxy has around four-hundred-billion stars and maybe ten-billion of them have planets. And there's about four-hundred-billion galaxies but this one photo has got ten-thousand galaxies and I've gotta also apologise  for making mistake heavy ordinary hydrogen has one proton in the core and no neutrons oh silly me. So if it has one neutron it's called deuterium 'n' that's heavy hydrogen if it has two uh neutrons it's called tritium and is radioactive. Thank you very much uh wonderful uh people in the uh self service science forum.
Excellent thank you and you can go along to uh Dr Karl's page as well go through either the Triple J website or the A B C site and uh find Karl's head located on the science page click on it  and uh give us your answers and your questions as well right now we're gunna go to Jason good morning.
Good morning guys how are youse.
Good thanks how are you.
Good  good.
Now a question for Dr Karl about water.
Yep. I've got my own um pool maintenance business and we always tend to get these little bugs in the water and I don't know where they're from that whether they're. I've been told they're airborne and then I've been told they they come down with the rain they're borne with the rain.
Are you talking about the little swimmers that  do a very pronounced breast stroke style.
That's it yeah boat men I've yeah I've heard h heaps of things for them yeah I just can't and they're hard to kill too.
And they're but they're good fun to catch if you're a kid  in the swimming pool I used to love catching them in my pool in Queensland . Karl where do they  come from.
Hang on w what part of the world are you calling from Jason.
Rocky. Rockhampton.
Could they be the same sort that you had.
Absolutely I reckon they are.
So what happened with you.
These are they were just always in the pool we had an a above ground swimming pool all these little bugs and they would always be in there 'n' we used to play games to see who could catch the most.
And how  big are they.
They're oh  they can get probably a big one no a big one could get up to about a centimetre do you think Jason.
Yeah yeah  that'd be right yep. And you get these other creatures in there too they're um oh they're huge . .
Like Loch Ness.
Yeah  that's it ay. But I  just don't know whether to like y'know with with algae in the pool coming y'know I know that there's algae spores coming down with the rain is that right.
Yeah the y'get the fungus algae is ih an algae is a mixture  is it of two things a fungus and a lichen no a lichen is a mixture of a f fungus buh uh I I can't remember but th there's one that's a mixture of two others. Now about the insects here's the bottom line. God must have loved insects 'cos he made so many of them . But they're just out there and all they wanna do is have sex  and make more insects. And you got a bit of water mate they'll go there and they'll drink it doesn't matter if it's got a bit of chlorine or not and then they'll have sex and then they'll eat and then  they'll leave more babies and they'll die. They  just do what we do but just a lot faster . Where do they come from it all depends on what you   I don't know whether they live in the trees or in the grass.
But they I mean they don't seem to have the their leg structure does not seem to be that they could sustain them outside of water.
No no not at all no no.
Oh I gotcha. So they  they couldn't actually walk anywhere.
No.
Did they.
No no.
Did they go from water to water so they need to live in wet areas.
Yeah .
Okay so they'd never move inland to into the desert areas.
No shit no.
No look I definitely don't know and maybe we need an entomologist to come onto our beautiful homepage go to my clicking head and tell us  and so they they got a how big are these ones a centimetre across.
A centimetre's a  big one yeah.
And they do the breast stroke.
Yeah that's a big one yep. Yeah  but I've got two little. Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah but I've seen them I've seen them down south in Brissie and and all that sort of thing I've yeah they're just about in everyone's pool ay.
Yeah.
Dow Brisbane is down south.
um from Rockie yeah  .
But what what of Melbourne and Hobart they're the end of the e earth I guess from where you are.
Good on you  Jason well I'd really like to find out about those  bugs as well. So please uh go to the tr to Karl's website and if you've got any answers about those bugs and how the hell they get in your swimming pool good on you mate.
Alright guys thanks for that see youse.
No worries  . Ty from Perth good morning.
How are you doctors.
Good  Ty> thank you how are you doing.
Yeah plodding along.
Excellent.
Um  just just a quick question about um liquid nitrogen.
Yeah.
Uh it freezes stuff obviously I know that but um I was just wondering if you put that in water like you add a glass of water you put a couple of drops of liquid nitrogen in froze it. Thawed it out could you drink that water.
Oh yes um it might have a few little bubbles of nitrogen in there captured in between the frozen ice. Um  that'd be perfectly safe because the air that you breath has eighty percent nitrogen in it and in fact if you have perhaps dare I say more money than sense you can in certain wealthy parts of the world I'm talking London New York Los Angeles  buy ice from icebergs from a couple of hundred feet h a couple of hundred metres down. And it's been squashed and squashed the little gas inclusions little bubbles of gas and when you get this bit of ice it's not perfectly clear you put it in your little cocktail and it goes bang bang bang bang bang . So that's what you'd be having if some of the liquid nitrogen.
So is that it just expanding and melting that  that creates  the banging.
Yeah the ice has been the the little bubbles have been squashed under pressure  and you relieve the pressure and they just sorta go bang I wanna get outta here. So you might have something like that happening and by the way liquid nitrogen is actually cheaper than milk. Uh on a yeah dollar  per litre basis.
And it is okay to ingest.
Well you're breathing it in eighty percent of what you breath is nitrogen.
Mm but in liquid form it'd be the same .
Well dih dih liquid form hair c no liquid nitrogen is very dangerous and you put the old yeah the experiment of putting the ora orange in the liquid nitrogen and then you s it just freezes  and you smash it and it's just all splinters .  but but if if you use the liquid nitrogen as a cooling agent to cool ice then the ice itself would be okay.
'Cos I think uh they used that uh special effects in uh Terminator Two where they  they used it  to uh freeze the cyborg and he shattered it was very exciting.
Ah that was  so good .
we've got a dinghy out the back of our place and when we have parties we fill that up put a bunch of dry ice in there and really make it cold y'know it's instantly.
Yeah.
Instead of having to by ice 'n' I was wondering if you could do the same with liquid nitrogen just put a few drops in make it sort of uh almost freeze fr uh c cool all the drinks and y'know you're happy.
Yeah that would work except it's just hard to get a hold of I reckon the dry ice is okay the only trouble with the dry ice  is if you're camping with it 'cos many people use it have two eskies one esky full of dry ice which is used to make bottles of frozen water and the frozen water then is in the other esky which keeps your food cold if you're in a hollow as the dry ice turns into carbon dioxide you could choke to death.
Ah .
But apart from that minor problem  no big deal   no big.
There you go Ty you satisfied.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Excellent good on you mate have a good day now  Priscilla.
Hey look I gotta say it this is the first time I've ever heard anybody call Brisbane as down South . Have you ever heard that.
Well I lived in Cairns for four years so yes.
Yeah so you would've called Brisbane down  I mean Queensland is bigger  than eastern Europe. L like all of western Europe you could fit England and  uh France and Germany and all those other countries in there so it's huge.
So there's an awful lotta people who are north of Brisbane who refer to it as south.
D down south uh  yeah okay this is good I'm learning  more every day ih cuh sorry uh  Priscilla sorry.
From Melbourne how you doing Priscilla .
Alright how are you.
Good thank you.
Good. Yeah I have a question for Karl I think he said a little while ago on this show like maybe a year or two  that water was the most corrosive  thing on the planet. And I wondered maybe I want some more information about that is it naturally occurring 'cos I'm thinking acid sounds like it's more corrosive  than water.
Well uh hydrofluoric acid  is so corrosive that it dissolves in glass. It dissolves glass.
Right.
And so you have to have bottles of glass which are lined with beeswax. And the beeswax stops so so hydrof.
So it can it corrode glass  but not beeswax.
Ih wuh isn't that weird.
That is very odd.
That is weird. So um water can be very corrosive if you crank it up to high temperatures if I said it was the most corrosive stuff known I must've been wrong although if you add salt to it it'll eat through aluminium.
Yeah.
Um nyuhzyuh.
What about naturally occurring.
Well while.
Corrodes a lot of coastlines I guess.
Yeah well it ur that's erosion isn't it.
Yeah.
Uh water is very powerful because you can see if you go ever go to the Bungle Bungle um notice I didn't say Bungle Bungles just proving I've been there  up in the top left hand corner of Australia in the area called the Kimberley not Kimberleys y'know why they call it the Kimberley.
Why.
'Cos there are a bunch of geologists wandering through there and they said look at those mountains look at this landscape doesn't it look like the Kimberley  back in South Africa brackets where there are lots of diamonds let's keep walking guys . And they kept on walking and then later they found all the diamonds another buncha geologists found the diamonds there. So if you go to the Bungle  so you go the Bungle Bungle which is this area may uh maybe what fifty square kilometres across you can g uh g take a helicopter flight is it maybe fifty Ks off the main road around Australia and yet they were not known to the general populace  until around nineteen-eighty. Takes about three hours to do that fifty Ks 'cos it's really slow and bumpy. And there are these huge mounds maybe two-hundred metres high about three-hundred-four-hundred metres across  and then there are these hard stone river bases which are completely dry. And in the wet season the water goes through there at one cubic kilometre per hour and the hard rock l looks as though a giant hand of God has come down and run through  molten butter and just r uh y'know so so the water has left these huge gouges in the rock. And so water can be very erosive if you get enough of it and one cubic kilometre per hour is a heck of a lot of water.
Absolutely.
So y uh water's very powerful stuff um as I'm learning by reading this book by Philip Ball. But it's not the m necessarily the most corrosive 'cos I'd say that hydrofluoric acid is more.
Yeah .
Yeah .
There you Priscilla that's uh probably been rattling around in your head for a while so  now we've come the conclusion acid is more corrosive than water.
Excellent.
Good on you luh.
Thank you very much.
Let's take a uh track right now from uh Laura Veirs on Triple J this one's called The Cloud Room. We'll be back with Dr Karl after this on Triple J.
On Triple J that's Laura Veirs and a track called The Cloud Room the album's called Carbon Glacier appropriate today we are talking about water with Dr Karl this morning  and uh you got any you got anything come up  there that you wanna mention.
Caroline has sent across some pictures of uh water boatmen.
The little swimmers that you get in your pool that we at least know you get in your pool in Queensland anyway.
Yeah up no uh in up north or uh could be down south and um unfortunately Mel said ooh I haven't seen them that big they're rather disturbing.
'Cos I used to catch them in the swimming pool all the time and throw them in my sister's hair .
And everybody who's emailed in Deb Hedges Philip Hitchcock  they're called water boatmen  and um one is that their eggs are probably carried on birds from other water to your pool and Leon  and Fordy say the insects are anisops A N I S O P S and the reason they float is due to an air sack in the abdomen.
Ah crafty  little things aren't they.
Crafty and and people keep on saying water boatmen Mark Dave Gavin everybody says water boatmen vautemotem water boatmen okay they're water boatmen we ag gree they're water boatmen
And possibly come from birds that's how they  possibly get into your swimming pool.
Only one person said that.
No it's a good theory  birds do uh spread a lotta things around. But uh let's get into another question right now Gonk from Bendigo good morning.
G'day
Now you've been waiting patiently what would you like to ask Dr Karl this morning.
I'd like to find out why it is exactly that seawater's salty.
Um when you have the sun shining on the land and the sea it heats it up  the water on the sea evaporates goes up form clouds falls on a land round and round it goes. It's just the pure water that goes up the salt is left behind. So any salt that ever gets into the sea stays there. The water goes around and around  but the salt stays behind there's no mechanism to take the salt out of circulation. Now the you know about the tectonic plate theory drifting continents.
Indeed I do.
Yep um they've left behind marks on the ocean floor. Which is called the mid oceanic ridge.
Mhm.
Which  is where the continents pull apart from and it looks like the seam on a giant tennis ball . Winding around the earth. And where the continents pull apart  the crust is very thin and at certain points there are places where hot water spurts up. When I say hot I mean like four hundred degrees C that's hot enough to boil except for the fact that it can't boil because there's  three kilometres of ocean above it acting like a giant pressure cooker and this water is black with minerals . Sometimes iron sometimes magnesium all sorts of different salts and this is thought of to explain the theory why you've got a place like Broken Hill or Mt Isa . Like you take off from  sort of y'know Byron Bay and you go west west west y'know you keep going west the landscape changes and suddenly bingo you're at Broken Hill  and you've got this largest deposit largest purest deposit of silver lead zinc virtually ever discovered. And then you turn right and then head up into Queensland turn right and back a bit  and you end up at Mt Isa huge deposits of these minerals how come you just got these little  clumps maybe twenty kilometres across and surrounded by nothing and they think that originally it was way under the ocean and and these minerals got dumped from the crust into the water on the ocean floor when it was three kilometres down and that's where the that's where there's some of the extra salts come from. And the other thing of course is if you've got salt on land  it gets washed into the ocean by the rain from the land onto the rivulets into the rivers into the bays and into the ocean. So once all it's like a cockroach home. Once they go once the salt goes in it never comes out.
Mm.
Excellent.
Ah nice. Good on you Gonk.
Thank you very much.
No  worries . So uh this so these massive salt lakes because uh when I lived in the Kambalda which is about forty Ks south of Kalgoorlie huge salt lakes that just span kilometres it's actually where on these salt lakes so flat that they do the land speed records . And things like that so they were once water . That evaporated and now  it's the salt remains.
That's oh wow so you've actually been on a salt lake.
Yes I stood on a salt lake it's a very very bizarre thing and blinding I've gotta say you're in the middle of the desert and it's just so white as far as the eye can see.
There's a medical disease associated with that. With men wearing shorts. It's called shrivelled nuts.
In technical  terms of course.
No that's what it's called in the medical journals. And  you actually have men with sunburnt testicles.
Right from their stubbies with  a bit of uh gappage in them.
With a bit of gap. Uh uh  gappage I've never never heard that word I've heard of cleavage I've never heard of gappage . Gappage  love it.
Now Dr Karl uh Zack's actually dropped off the line but I thought we should go to his question  'cos I'm sure it's something that a lot of people have pondered before we go to a track. Zack rang up to say to ask why is it that when drinking beer you get so dehydrated despite the fact that it contains so much water.
In  if you're having the first glass of beer and the second glass it'll change by the time you get to the twentieth glass of beer. But  when you're drinking we'll we'll say a stubby what's what's that is that what um three-hundred-and-seventy fy  three-seventy-five mils. Right and it's five percent alcohol so five grams in a hundred call it four hundred five by four is twenty grams of alcohol. So you're drinking say three-hundred-and-fifty grams of water and you're drinking twenty grams of alcohol. The effect of the alcohol is to drag out of your system say five or six hundred grams of water. So you absorb the three-hundred-and-fifty grams of water. Y'know which is the other stuff around the beer. But then the alcohol the small amount the twenty grams  is sucking out more. And so it it acts as a dehydrating agent.
Right and of course you urinate a lot more because you're  drinking a lot more  than you normally would 'n'.
Um goes uh from your blood  into the kidneys the kidneys are filtering around four-hundred-three-hundred kilograms of blood every day  and pulling out lots and lots of water. And so they they force the kidneys into overdrive  and that's where the diuretic effect happens and so your bladder starts filling up more rapidly.
Right okay not very intelligent way to put a drink together is it.
Ah yeah but  look Benjamin Franklin said God invented beer  because he wanted to show that he loved us.
Dr Karl thank you so much for uh coming on the program this morning what are we talking about next week.
Um I think we guh should go for the future .  the brains trust has come up with.
Ooh okay.
And any topics that the audience would like to discuss we'd be most ever so grateful to hear from you.
Please let us know by going to the website Triple J dot A B C dot net dot A U or of course you can email me Mel at Triple J dot A B C dot net dot A U thank you so much Karl . Have a lovely week. Here's the Mess Hall here on Triple J it's eight away from twelve.
""" Uh blue-tongues'd be  unlikely to eat them because the good old uh Hemidactylus the Asian house gecko  ih tends to stick to walls and blue-tongues aren't real good on walking on the side of houses."
Okay so they can't get them to eat them.
No um the the biggest predator I would imagine and I d I don't I know of no studies done but n knowing the the way the Australian fauna works in in houses  um I would say the Asian house gecko's biggest predator would be the brown tree snake which is a big gecko feeder . Um but unfortunately the brown tree snake doesn't seem to be able to exist in the broad the broad sort of um uh really seriously altered habitats like the green tree snake like the brown tree snake out in the leafiest suburbs The Gap Toowong out there toward um  Brisbane Forest Park areas are Pullinvale uh Brookfield that sort of thing but the green whu the whereas the green tree snake lives all over I don't think the green tree snake bothers much with geckos but to answer Gary's question. There's a study that's been conducted in the Northern Territory which shows that the Asian house gecko has in fact got into the natural bushland areas in the Northern Territory  and and may well be taking over pushing uh native species around. Um no extinctions have been recorded even locally. Here and south of Brisbane the assumption is that they probably won't do that and that they are house dependent because they're essentially a tropical animal and we're  getting out of the tropics . We're getting to the margins of y'know beyond the margins of where they would normally live in their own um in their own uh original distribution so it may not be detrimental y'know south of the tropics but it may be north of the tropics and that's a study that's ongoing now in the Northern Territory.
Okay so the the  the jury is still formally  out.
We yeah we're not yet worried about them in south-east Queensland or or in the southern part of Queensland anyway probably Townsville south mm.
Okay then let's go the phones Mr  d Nattrass at seven minutes past three Graham from Tarragindi's first up hi Graham.
Hi Kelly how are you.
Good good how can we help.
Rick um the ringneck uh mallee ringneck you uh sighted any in Brisbane area at all.
Oh yeah.
Yeah I saw one a couple of weeks ago and I got a hell of a shock 'cos I'd seen them in Western Australia. But uh never here in Brisbane.
You sure it was a mallee ringneck.
Well when I look at .
What colour was the head.
It was a blacky blue.
Ah no. See the mallee ringneck um the top of the head there I think is more like a uh greeny blue um you the two black headed ringnecks are the port lincoln and the twenty-eight. Now they're commonly seen around Brisbane  um because s the whoever was actually cleaning the cage and changing the seed and the water left the door open and the bird went out of the aviary.
Okay because yeah according to Simpson and Day they're not supposed to be here are they.
Yeah well I was I was um involved with NatureSearch for about um ten years in the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and the most often recorded non-native in these parts were the two ringnecks. The twenty-eight and um the port lincoln and they are aviary escapees.
Okay there we go thanks for that Graham on the S M S from Cathy at Mudgeerabah Rick had a tiny bug on the glass sliding door the other night and its bum was glowing. What was it.
A beetle . And they're uh known as  um fireflies despite the fact that they are beetles. And they have a little system in the tips of the abdomen in segments eight nine and ten I think it is um a battery system and a um u ha gha  lead crystal display unit and they can actually  boot it up and electrically they pulse out this um this glow . And they yep and they signal and it's the um  now let's see.
that common. Around that area . Or even in Queensland.
They actually are but I tell you what I once wanted to do  firefly tours I wanted to actually take  people in the evenings and do a flying fox fly out and then take them fireflies and I was talking to the gurus of beetles at the Queensland Museum to find out whether I could really reliably uh predict so that y'know I could plan the thing. And no even though they're widespread they're very common if you get around instead of watching television if you get around good quality bushland in from spring onwards through  summer  uh move around to different spots you know every every week mm spend one night out. Uh just for a few hours after sundown. You will see them at some stage. But where they actually hatch and operate is really up and down it's not very predictable.
Okay good question Cathy from Mudgeerabah  uh Len from the Sunshine Coast hi Len.
Hi Kelly.
Hello tell us about your maggie.
Uh got a magpie with a bit of um bit of a problem with one of his legs.
Yep.
Yeah uh like I'd class it as our ankle and I noticed yesterday he's got a piece of thread which appears to have been looped around it. He's got a horrible limp.
Yeah.
Uh.
Much we  can do about that  Nick.
Yeah dih.
Should I try and catch him.
Yeah yeah do you feed him.
Yes.
Good on you. Okay now the trick here is very simply what I would do is I would ring the Maroochydore I think it is or the Cotton Tree office of Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and let them know you're doing this because if a neighbour sees you setting a trap for a native bird y'know it can cause all sorts of ructions let them know that you've got a bird with a tangled foot and you're gunna attempt to catch it and free it up which they will only be delighted to hear you say 'cos I know there are lots of these casualties out there and not enough rangers . And what you simply do is feed it in the one spot for a couple of days and set up a simple drop trap which is a light box six inches deep made out of timber with shade cloth on the top propped up at an angle of forty-five degrees with a stick with a string back from there throw the meat underneath when your target bird goes in give it a tweak  c cruh clunk down comes the box on the bird  um if you miss the bird.
Try again.
The buh well if you miss  he ih he is gunna be very very wary and you give it away for that day and start again tomorrow. 'Cos I've done all this. Um when you do when the box goes down and your bird is under there immediately throw a blanket over the whole lot suh so put it in the dark and that'll reduce all the stress  and then the trick is to drag that  box onto a pi sheet of plywood or something rigid and get the whole thing into the garage because if you lift it up you go in there to catch the bird and it gets out you'll never catch it again well not for a week anyway . Okay.
True true.
So you can do it it can be done I've done it it's just a matter of patience and once you've got him inside it's a two person job if you've a a assistance somebody to hold beak somebody to put some cotton wall balls into those feet 'cos if they  if the claws the bird'll be frightened and if the claw even though it knows you if the claws get into your hands it's a fairly painful experience and then just simply with a razor blade or whatever pull the thread off and immediately let the bird go.
Yeah it appears to be quite swollen too so it may be tightened around  that ankle area.
Okay well if it looks as if there's some sort of permanent damage then bung the bird into a box and whip it round to your local vet and just get the vet to have a look and it may well be that it's going to recover. Um if the damage is permanent there's not gunna be treatment anyway are you with me.
No true  true.
Okay  and I've seen birds who've lost their feet to these things and they still function .
Ah fair enough.
But but please do catch him and relieve him of that 'cos it's  just so nasty .
That's okay.
And and Len it uh it's worth noting at this point too that uh the captain of Collingwood the Magpies' Nathan Buckley has a hamstring injury also . How ironic. How uh . So if you could  put him in a cage and throw a blanket on him for season two-thousand-and-five I'd appreciate that too.
Alright.
Thank you .
Now  I had a question on butcherbirds.
Wh.
Oh s yes quick  butcherbird question go ahead.
Yeah uh we had like a parent bird two say two-thousand-and-four and two-thousand-and-three babies. Then all of a sudden we have another parent bird with say another two two-thousand-and-four babies and another two or three two-thousand-and-three babies. Where would they have come from.
Oh you're observing these butcherbirds in only a tiny wah um o only a tiny patch of where they actually live overall you with me.
Yes.
So unless you were to band all of the are they puh pied butcherbirds.
Yeah the black and white ones.
Yeah. Uh if you were to band them all and then follow them around and get an idea of where their wuh the space that they're all occupying you'll find that it's thirty or forty times the size of your backyard.
Uh we're on acreage yeah . I I was just wondering if they'd started to hand out menus or something that y'know this guy wants  to give them a good feed.
No no no see if you read up on the um on the life history of butcherbirds they're a bit like kookaburras in that there are youngsters from previous nestings that don't actually get tipped out immediately at the end of the breeding season like a lotta birds do. They stay on and become helpers for following seasons. But what they get up to um y'know all year round for those couple of years that they're with mum and dad  uh I don't know but I suspect that they're not totally faithful to the nest site and to the parents they show up when times are good and then they help out when times are good and they're in the process of actually looking to get outta that territory and do their own thing.
Mm Len thank you very much we've just got a few more calls to get to. Six-twelve A B C Brisbane and A B C Local Radio Queensland it's twenty minutes past three Ric Nattrass is with us as he is every Monday after the three o'clock news let's go to Cathy from Tolga Cathy hello.
Hi Kelly hi Ric. Um  we've got an acre surrounded by a paddock planted little rainforest patch down the back a few years ago and great excitement a catbird's moved in.
Beautiful.
He starts calling in the morning that awful squawking call.
Mreeaar .
Yeah yeah and but he is replying to himself also with a tweety sort of sound.
Yes they do yeah there's more than that call yep.
Is he just on his own.
I dunno I'm down h .
Well we've looked and we can only see him  he's making  all the noise.
Yeah it yeah it's it's likely to be it's likely to be a male a young male who's found a new patch and and looks like setting up home  and is it's the greenish one.
It is.
Yeah okay so your yours up there is the spotted catbird if you're on  the Atherton Tableland  ours down here is the green. Um and those  w whistle calls and things are all part of the call that you you you rarely hear unless you're up close  and what I will tell you  was that this happens in my family and my father in law is the catbird guru . Um they love grapes.
Grapes.
Yeah.
Okay .
Oh nice to know.
So is he gunna make his little display down there during the season or will he hang around.
They once they go into reproductive mode Cathy they are fiendishly difficult to observe  so you're gunna have a lot of fun when he's close to the house and if you put a little tray of grapes out he'll love you. That's when you're gunna see him when it gets all reproductive it gets all private.
Right yeah we hear them in the rainforest when we're walking but very rarely see them so.
Correct yeah.
We're a bit excited about this one.
Yeah  absolutely yeah yeah okay.
Thanks Cathy.
Okay thank you.
Pleasure.
Bye.
Margaret from River Hills hello.
Oh good afternoon Kelly and Ric um I have a a crow near m my place that thinks it's a magpie when I'm out wur walking early in the morning it bombs me is this normal or . Do I have to change my track or.
Well just put your umbrella over your head . But it's not unusual for crows um y'know the the magpie is famous  for b um y'know the disturbed one swooping on people during its breeding season but believe me the it's n by no means exclusive. I've been dusted up by  noisy friar-birds because I was feeding a baby koel that they thought was theirs and wanted it back I've been dusted up by spangled drongos pied currawongs grey and black uh grey and pied butcherbirds noisy mynas and the piece de resistance of having your ears ripped off is the peregrine falcon if you get too close  to the nesting ledge and it's a bird uh w when you have a really good look at it it's the one you don't want dusting you up.
Good I'll change my walking .
But look no just just put your umbrella over your head  when the bird swoops stand absolutely stock still  and remain where you are because the bird will then say to itself hang on it's supposed to run away. And when it doesn't ih within a couple of days it'll stop the behaviour because what it does is it gets a threat back from you that eh it's supposed to run away it's not running away my god I better stop doing that and that's what they do.
Okay there you go Margaret some words of advice there. Hayden from Townsville hi Hayden.
Hi Kelly how are you.
Good good now tell us about this carpet python.
Yeah well Ric last week I think you were talking about the colourations on carpet pythons and uh I was coming down a hill on a my mountain bike one day and um this is a couple of years ago out behind Townsville in the Mt Stewart Road and I came across a I presume it was a carpet python but it was bright yellow and black. Really distinct markings and I I've never seen one in a book like that and I've I've attended snake identification courses I've never seen anything quite like it but  last week.
Yeah dur he was talking about um you were talking about bright yellow ones last week Ric.
No yeah that was  a different that was a slightly different f different one um Hayden the the carpet python has occasional individuals which are absolutely outrageously stunning. And in my book Talking Wildlife which um is out now there's a photograph there taken by Paul Grimshaw at Mt Crosby on the outskirts of Brisbane of a carpet python which is very very spectacular and unlike your standard job. That's what you've seen there there are just occasional individuals that are incredibly brilliantly coloured like gold and purple.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes.
Yep yep.
Yeah absolutely spec and and like at least I would say three metres long a really big   solid looking python.
Yeah yeah and also um those really dark colours can be when the carpet python is about to do a shed and when uh after it's just before it milks up um they'll get th the whole outside'll get very very dark and that can change colours as well so they're not the same colour all year round. Yep.
Oh thanks for that Hayden six-twelve A B C Brisbane and A B C Local Radio Queensland twenty-five minutes past three this is Wildlife Talkback. Uh next up Alan from Townsville hi Alan.
Oh hi juh uh Kelly and Ric. Uh Ric um we've got as usual a lot of geckos in the house or outside the house and uh I presume there's some noisy mala Malay or Asian ones and uh some of the ordinary ones there're some are a pale lightish colour and smooth and others are a bit uh rugged looking brown and also some of them are cannibals they eat any baby geckos that are around. I got two question I was wondering if I can identify which is which of them and if it's the males or the females only that eat the babies uh some of them we've noticed will hunt with the baby geckos but others will hunt the geckos .
Yeah.
Uh could you uh give us any idea there.
I think in that magnificent book um by the uh uh published by the Queensland Museum and it's called Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland  which you should be able to get you will be able to get in fact from the museum shop I think there is a branch of the Queensland Museum in Townsville is there not.
Uh there's a museum here Ric I'm not sure.
Yeah have a have a look in the phone book for Queensland Museum in  Townsville. Pop in there there is a book called Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland. It has all the gecko species in there.
Oh yes.
Now having said that they're highly variable a lotta the species and pretty difficult to sort out  um if you were to um y'know find a deceased one or something the the only way that you can really be positive about its identification is run through some very complicated keys in a book called um Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia by H G Cogger but also I'm pretty certain that there is a branch of the Queensland Museum up there they will be able to help you with your identifications anyway.
And do they mix uh Ric do they mate.
No no no there are there are set species and there's no hybridisation in the Asian house gecko and ours nor any hybridisation that I know of in our own species  and in the Townsville area there's likely to be around about um eight to ten species I would say roughly we've got about six or eight in in the Brisbane area I'd say you'd have eight to ten um and of those about four or five will be wall climbers.
Okay then now that book you mentioned Reptiles and Amphibians  of Australia by whom.
Yeah it uh H G Cogger but that's for the y'know the real nerds  oh that's it's a nerd it's a y'know it's a well over  a hundred dollars and it's  and it's a nerdy book and you've gotta go through these very complicated keys. The trick is with geckos is to get Wildlife of of either Greater Brisbane for the southern part or um Tropical North Queensland for the northern part have a look at the pickies and see if you can sort them out from there other than that it's a specialist job actually.
Okay now Sharon from Dalby wants to tell us about her her birds hi Sharon.
Hi how are you  um I was interested um buh to hear Ric talk about feeding a koel before. Um last season we started to feed a couple of koels and of course they went away to wherever they go Indonesia or noh up north.
P N G yep.
Yep and then this year the two of them arrived back again now um and they come usually with the magpies but what I noticed was that um the female was taking food away one day and I thought oh I wonder if she's taking it to a baby but no she was feeding the male up in the tree and then.
Eh.
Yeah. It was the male and then  ih and then after that the male came down one day and he did the same thing and he was feeding her and I I just thought that was most unusual and um they they come down around about the same time as the maggies and the other day the female the maggies were there and the female  sort of threatened one of the maggies and when they when she was she sort of hisses and her neck comes up like a.
Yeah chook.
Yeah.
Yeah mm.
Yeah  and I'd I'd never seen it before and um y'know I thought it was just amazing that they came back to the exact same spot .
No I could tell you something Sharon that the banded birds that we've observed from the Brisbane area that have been hand raised orphans and banded and then allowed to do their normal migration have plonked back in the very same yard that they took off from and I'm talking > twenty perch blocks.
That's amazing.
They have landed in exactly the same spot started calling when they've arrived back  you go out and have a look and there's the band on the leg .
""" If you haven't been with us before this how it functions Jurate Sasnaitis joins us every couple of weeks and every month for our book club good afternoon Jurate."
Good afternoon Lynne.
It's like being at school. And we talk about a book which is just like every other book club and I really just started this because I wanted to be in a book club and  nobody would ask me so I thought I'd start my own.
And so yes.
Wo we run.
We ask everybody . Bit like Marilyn Monroe isn't it we want everybody to .
To like us  love us yes. The Lovely Bones you loved and I didn't really.
Oh look it's so funny isn't it  did you want to tell that story like how much Jurate hated this book and so let's do it for book club . And then Jurate changed her mind.
And Lynne takes an opposite view  so we will explore all this in its fascinating complexity. Alright Jurate you give us the plot what happens in The Lovely Bones.
Well The Lovely Bones basically is narrated by Susie Salmon like the fish  who's. As she says yes I didn't make that up and she's a fourteen year old and within the first few lines of the book we discover that she was raped and murdered in nineteen-seventy-three. Now she is in a place called heaven which she later discovers is kind of a bit like limbo actually it's not quite heaven heaven it is for people or souls rather who still cling to life on earth so what um Susie does from heaven from her vantage point of heaven is to observe in the next eight years as the plot goes on what happens to her family her mother father very young much younger brother and young sister the policeman mainly involved in her case and of course her murderer. So we get to see how all these people cope with the aftermath of a really horrid violent tragic event in their lives and how they grow uh cuh each very individually and very differently cope with grief . And that's the bare bones.
Yes as opposed to The Lovely Bones  now yes we should point out that you didn't like it when you first read it  a couple of years ago.
But I suspect it's for the same reasons you didn't like it this time.
Which are.
Well for me I thought it was the most offensively saccharine vision of heaven I had ever read  what do you reckon.
Well you thought that because ih uh in Susie Salmon's heaven everybody determines their own heaven if you like.
Yes and you have the people that you want to encounter or they want to encounter you in their heaven and ih it looks like um somewhere that you I suppose feel safe and  and happy and comfortable. So if you're young if you're a fourteen year old in Susie's case it's her local high school but there are no teachers you know there are plenty of dogs playing around she manages to conjure her um life her gar well her death guide I suppose you'd say who's an older woman  she realises like a mother figure angel. Um she f gets a friend they have slightly different versions but you know come together in the same version I mean it made me feel a bit sick the first time I read it I thought this is wrong this is.
Why why did you think that bit was so wrong.
Well   just felt American to me actually.
Yes well it was it was   a fourteen year old high school vision yes of heaven. But uh I suppose  that was a little twee for me but.
Twee.
Twee is right yes yes. But that's not the thing that I found most annoying.
Come on tell me.
No let's take some calls  Rick Rick's in Mccrae good afternoon Rick.
Hello this is Rick here.
Hi you loved it.
I did I had a fantastic time reading about a number I've I've listened you I'm a talking book and I've listened to it several times and it gets better every time.
And and was there anything specific that really stuck with you from it Rick.
There ih there um one thing I I felt that uh 'cos I don't want to spoil it for people have uh haven't read it is but um I like the way that uh the murderer had uh um came to grief in the end.
That was  excellent.
In the very end. And I like the way he did that happen to him and I thought good.
Yeah he's been dispatched.
Yeah exactly.
Yeah good point Rick he does come to um uh an appropriate termination twenty-three past two hi Sarah.
Uh good afternoon. I loved it I I didn't find the heaven saccharine I'd I didn't think she was that happy there anyway.
Didn't you.
Well I didn't.
She was a bit frustrated  'cos she wanted to be on earth didn't she.
Yeah yeah.
She was bored.
Yeah she was bored so that's why I didn't think it was saccharine.
I know uh well Sarah if I can just interrupt  sorry but I must say that it's interesting because a couple of years ago when I first read it I had all those reactions and thought it was too much and really icky and this time I didn't think so at all. So I think it so much depends doesn't it where  you are  when you read something and what expectations you have of the plot as well and must say this time I actually thought contextually it fitted very well and I didn't find it over sort of sweet either. I think I must have been in a very particular mood a while ago.
Couple of years ago when you first read it.
Yeah  what else Sarah.
Uh  I was going to say I'd ih I couldn't put it down for a start I was read I can't normally read in the car but I was reading it you know as a passenger of course.
Oh I was gunna say .
It was just one of those that kept me up late at night 'cos I didn't want to stop reading.
Right.
And once I'd got through the uh awful bits.
Yes.
The gory bits.
And they are pretty grim.
Yeah it was pretty hard to get through that  but I'd it just left me with an overall sense of  um this sounds saccharine but beauty I just I had  tears running down my face when I finished .
Oh nice.
Yeah.
I r I did read one uh comment about it saying that ih ih was it was full of grace which I think is probably fair. And maybe what you mean by beauty in a way Sarah.
Yes yes.
Mm.
That notion of of um   acceptance and uh wise or great wisdom and and tolerance and all those things it does give you hope. Thanks a lot for your comments Sarah very insightful now I'll tell you why I didn't like it shall I.
Yes tell me.
It wasn't the heaven bit that that struck me as as ghastly  I didn't find that too bad 'cos I just ih kind of  accepted that fourteen year old Susie Salmon  was just your archetypal American girl so that's how her heaven would look but it bothered me when the plotline pursuing Mr Harvey  her murder and rapist fell away.
Ah.
I felt the pace dropped dramatically  at that stage and I struggled to move through it.
So you would've preferred to find out more about him  and his.
Yeah and I felt  felt it was sort of half and half and I wondered if Alice Sebold really knew what she wanted there 'cos it struck me that the gear changed it it started out as a pretty page turning crime investigation at the beginning  those y'know bits of clues turning up and  Len Fenerman the the policeman  coming in and out of the story and then it moved into this exploration of grief which in itself was quite valid and interesting but the two sort of sandwiched together to me didn't quite gel.
But don't you think because it does take place over eight years and naturally an uh I mean obviously Susie could go on to observe other murders  and we do have a character also in the novel called Ruth who is um supposedly psychic and she actually does sense other people who have been raped and murdered mainly women and children and um I mean there are parts of that that I have a little bit of difficulty dih with  . You should see the face Lynne is making um  and but I you know what I really liked about it. Sorry to change the subject but I really liked her observations of daily life.
Yeah and I would accept that  I think that's good.
Okay it's flawed ih thih I think it's probably a deeply flawed first novel and m perhaps we should tell the listeners as well I don't know if everyone realises that Alice Sebold was actually raped  herself and in fact the first book she wrote was a book called Lucky and that actually tells about her own experience and she and subsequent trial of the fellow who raped her. Now she calls it Lucky because she of course survived  and she survived without any um gruesome physical you know anything happen well apart from the obvious happening to her but I think the fellow had actually  physically um harmed other women quite violently and badly so in her case she felt very lucky to  to have survived. So I think I mean ih it's interesting I wonder how that has actually influenced this novel.
Yes.
But also how much desire there must be to actually makes something good out of such a bad experience.
Yeah it does give you another   perspective on on the on the novel that's for sure and I'll go on to be boring in my nit picking in just a moment. Liz is in Anglesea hi Liz.
Hello Lynne. Lynne I'm ringing I have I'm holding it in my hand . My daughter um  recommended it and said it was the best book she's ever read. She's a paediatrician so whether looking at it from a children's point of view.
Mm.
I don't know and she said b she started to read it in a plane on her way to a um a conference cried in the plane was a bit embarrassed that she was crying in public and but she said it was best book she ever read so I sent one to my niece in France. Who lives in France and doesn't get a lot of good.
English  books yeah.
And uh every time I go to read it because I knew it was about murder I'd I read in night time have no wish to have nightmares   find a daytime to read them.
Yes .
But she said it was she r she's a prolific reader. And she said it was the best book she'd ever read.
Okay Liz  well I'm just trying to think of when you're gunna have a chance to read it that won't um  interrupt your night's sleep.
I'll watch myself down the beach one day.
Good.
Have a read.
Okay well I hope we don't spoil it for you.
Oh no no it's fine because she gave me the uh nitty gritty of it but it's interesting because she ih um she's a very um ih wih oh she's a very prolific reader  I have to say has read y'know from classics down to novels all the time. Knocks books over very quickly. Um I just thought it was very interesting the your perspective against against what she'd told me.
Yes well there are parts of it that I think work really really well and um as as Jurate has has stoutly defended  Alice Sebold I think some of her observations of people and circumstance are really quite extraordinary and I'm sure that has a lot to do with the fact.
I was wondering if it's to do with the experience.
Yes  exactly.
You're a mother of young kids.
Mm.
So's my daughter but her eldest's nine but she works with children and often with children who are abused. So I wonder if that has a perspective in the in her um appraisal of the   too.
Liz I think the only way to to work that one is for you to read it.
Oh yes.
Okay.
Thanks Lynne.
Thank you  for your call. It's half past two and we're talking about The Lovely Bones which is our book club book for March by Alice Sebold Jurate Sasnaitis is with us too from Greville Street bookstore. I suppose this half and half thing  is uh came up over and over for me it was half a a murder mystery  uh exploration of grief half and half it seemed to me half of it was in a pretty authentic to me at least sounding fourteen year old voice and then towards the end it becomes all very omniscient and she's terribly wise and she's staring down from heaven and everybody's being terribly accepting and that kind of jarred. And it's h half some really superb as I was talking about with you and Liz insightful reflections on grief and then this sort of magic realism little  excursions every  now and again. And I think mm dunno about that.
Yeah. It's I think with that sort of writing  you either go with the flow or you don't really . Because if you're going to actually try and figure out like when I was  when with preconception as I was rereading the book I was taking notes originally and say for example once again about this character Ruth who's a psychic I was taking these notes that were like oh why is the artist and poet always the loony one . Y'know why is it that this person has to hold y'know the sort of loony aspects like sh one she's a lesbian two she's kind of psychic and a bit loopy three she runs around dressed like a goth y'know she she's sort of like the only non-middle class if she's the out  she's the obvious outcast . And she also of course is the recipient at the end of a very crucial moment in Susie's development in heaven and on earth but we're not allowed to say 'cos it would spoil everything. Um it's like yes I agree I think those things are really irritating   but  as I was reading it this time I found not quite as irritating as the first time and I thought oh it's actually very interesting this person does actually hold ap a s a sort of special place in the book as well because she is kind of a link  and she does actually step outside normal society and have a look at what's really going on . Whereas everyone else is kind of like in it.
Yes living it in the moment  she's the observer  that's that's that is true I would have liked to have known more about Ruth I found that a bit tantalising that we sort of get occasional moments of her l living in  New York in a cupboard and  and working as a waitress. Twenty-seven to three Cathy hi.
Is that me.
That's you.
Look I've just read The Lovely Bones and  I do think Alice Sebold has portrayed the effect of a child murder  on a family very well that part of the book I liked but most of her writing irritated me I didn't like it. I certainly don't agree with that um mother of the paediatrician it's certainly not my favourite book . Because um the treatment of Mr Harvey like your Jurate has just said I find that too unreal the the lack of wanting to find Mr Harvey and to and to see him caught and dealt with  that's too nice Susie's too nice in the way she watches Mr Harvey from heaven and uh it's just not real enough in my w .
You think she'd be angry.
I think that most people would feel angry.
Absolutely.
when you know about  the other serial murders that he's done  and whether it's the fact that you're in America and you can't trace somebody interstate or whatever th that's nothing is put into that  it's almost as if  uh uh I just found that very lacking and I slowed down in the middle of the book.
I am exactly with you Cathy 'cos that that had bothered me and I wanted that plotline to continue and I couldn't I found it really frustrating that the  search for Mr Harvey just stalled.
And when he does die in last page virtually um it although a previous caller said that they thought it was a a good ending but I didn't think it was good enough  really.
That's yes  that's interesting.
I d I don't think it would be out of turn to say that um finally w we do get a slight sort of epilogue to Mr Harvey he's been out of the plot in all but very occasional and uh passing mentions for most of the second half of the book and then he suddenly gets dispatched  in the last page or so.
I I I was throughout the book wanted to follow up and find him  because I was feeling outraged and when we did this book in our book club um I heard that Alice Sebold herself had been raped.
That's right yes.
Uf and she s wrote it uh stopped her biography which was called Lucky and then wrote this book and then went back to Lucky or the other way round either way um I see that her experiences have come out in the rape of Susie.
Sure.
But because Alice wasn't murdered um her fantasy is not is not good enough in my books and I don't like the way she sort of tidies it all up at the end   and that's too too sweet and sh.
Bit too neat.
Yes.
She doesn't stay in heaven looking down in a way she enters people's bodies as if she's uh I mean apart from Ruth she actually goes into her mother's feelings and her father's feelings and the .
She does watch people's thoughts yeah.
was fantastic. I really was moved I was really feeling sad at the time when mother leaves Abigail leaves . And I didn't approve of that  safe to say I think the facts just um the effect on the children from the paediatrician's point of view that previous caller  would be terrible  to have a mother leave for eight years.
Cathy thank you very much for all of that because um there's lots of food for thought in there. Kitty's in Carnegie hi Kitty.
Oh hi Lynne how you going.
I'm well you liked it.
I did I loved it very much  yeah I I'm I'm interested I I actually read it last year on a plane on the way to Paris to um meet up with my husband who was on a conference and it was delightful 'cos I had about  ten solid hours to just enjoy it without interruptions from my three young children so it was just great um.
That is true  heaven yes   that's what your heaven would look like Kitty.
Absolutely and um  the one thing I want to say is that um I don't know so much that it was important that this murderer was apprehended and punished and so we could all feel better and sleep better at night I think none of that would have brought Susie back um and I think it was actually quite clever that Alice departed from that avenue and started to look more at the characters and the the loss and the sorrow and all of that . Um I don't think it needed to be all happily stitched up in uh in another way um depends on one's focus I g.
Yeah fair enough.
Um but I I thought it was delightful. Yeah.
Thank you for Kitty I suppose I d I just got captivated in the search and the the  forensics of .
Oh  we should have read a different book.
I know I know Bullia hi.
Hello um  sorry I had to clear my throat.
That's okay.
Uh a friend lent me the book a couple of months ago and at first I wasn't very keen on reading it. Once I'd started however I I found it a very interesting concept and a gripping story and I finished it within a couple of days. But one basic vital part the particular bones that were supposedly recovered  seemed totally unrealistic to me and that sort of irritated me all through the book because the elbow  is a junction of y'know some long bones it's not like say a foot or a hand or something that might be a separate thing in itself so had the murderer cut off the forearm and the upper arm first .
Mm I I think that's what happened.
are the bones joined by ligaments or what . Which seems totally unrealistic and improbable  and that basic improbability of the particular bones that she c says were found.
Yes fair enough.
Was a flaw that irritated me  all through the book.
Uh and it would be difficult to get away from that irritation once you'd  set upon it  mm. Good point thank you for that The Lovely Bones as they're described on the y'know in the title actually refers to a little passage that comes up late in the book where she describes uh in fact I'll read it for you.
Mm.
Which I thought was naff.
Yes I can see you thought that . Look oh I'm so prepared to go with it in a way I just utterly think it's a feelgood novel despite the grim aspects of it. It is definitely meant to send a positive message. Um we can overcome our grief possibilities are there if we have desire we don't have to give up our memories of the beloved we can hold them to us forever life goes on. I mean it's very nice  I think actually like the first time I read it it was quite soon after my grandmother had died and that's when I found that I was very angry with that book because of course it's not that easy really you know and  so.
And you do get a sense of that I mean the characters go through all sorts of grief.
They do  I think  they do.
One of our callers pointed out Abigail the mother disappears she  goes to the other side of the country and works in a winery and.
Which sounded quite fun  .
The marriage breaks down and she has an affair and all sorts of y'know  developments and Buckley I really liked taking your calls on The Lovely Bones for this month's book club Juliet in Clayton thank you for being patient.
That's alright .
You loved it.
I did um I read it about a year ago so I sorta I don't remember all the details but I just liked the fact that well I I got out of it that it really annoyed me how the family fell apart like I think if I was in Susie's position and I could see how unhappy my family were that'd really angry me like I'd want them to be sad for a start and then sorta get on with their lives and be h be happy like I just I don't see suh that something that they did that they couldn't have helped happened but then that wrecked their lives as well. And obvious and her brothers as well . That sorta just really I think I got that out of it so .
But did it it read  believably that that sort of family breakdown.
Well yeah I think that  I think that really could happen to someone's  family that if that happened it'd just be terrible.
Split yeah.
Y'know they needed to sort of get over it in a way  and and get on with their lives because they couldn't change it and then not it wasn't gunna bring her back so.
But I suppose the fact that they they can't have a funeral really they have a um a commemorative ceremony but there's  no body found so it's it's actually really difficult for them  in lots of ways to deal with the death and disappearance. Like for so long I think  in fact they don't if she they're hoping against hope that she  isn't dead.
I guess that'd be really hard I just I just know if I was in her position I'd just really I'd just want my family to be happy and just sor of y'know go on with things .
Gee I think I'd want my family to be really unhappy for a really  for a really long time.
Oh no.
No really like I'd wanna be really missed and I'd want people to have a really hard time .
Oh no you wouldn't .
Ah I dunno .
Oh Juliet you're a very generous soul obviously  thank you for that. Now that that raises a very interesting point and and I think that's that's uh a subtext in the book is  that Susie as a fourteen year old does want to be missed and she is  and she struggles too with letting go of her own family and  sort of having to peer over them all the time to make sure that she's being remembered.
And never to grow up  as well so those strange sort of watching and not being able to participate I mean  quite ghastly really if you think about it.
Terribly frustrating nine-four-one-four-one-seven-seven-four or one-eight-hundred-oh-double-three-eight-hundred if you'd like to talk about The Lovely Bones. Susie Salmon dies and goes to heaven and then watches as all the consequences fall out. Melanie's in Brunswick hi.
Hi how you going.
Very well.
Good um I loved the book I'll just start with that but I must admit I was quite um choosy in who I recommended it too  seeing that I was a single female no children and I could remove  myself from the story and from the family but I didn't recommend it to my mother. I did remec I didn't recommend it to a friend who had children I thought uh y you might not be able to remove yourself from that situation.
Mm that's very sensitive of you Melanie.
my thought for the day yeah  no yeah I just ih ih like I usually recommend something but this I thought no I yeah  I think I had the advantage of of not being involved or not or being able to remove myself from it I suppose.
That's really interesting. So ih do you do that with other books or you just thought  to do it with this one.
No actually I do do it with other books actually there's a Jacqueline Mitchard book a Theory of Relativity I think it was about a child that uh lost both parents and there's like a custody battle. And again it was like there's certain people I'm not going to recommend that book to.
Mm.
You could work in a bookshop Melanie.
I'd love to .
Uh oh.
I'd love to so yeah look I ih it I didn't recommend it to a lotta people no.
But you liked it yourself.
I did like it myself it did have a lotta flaws as you said and but I did enjoy it lots of lots of crime but the beautiful part was when she saw her dog.
Yes.
Running with the other dogs I bawled .
I'm a dog person   too.
But yeah I did love it .
Fair enough  good on you thanks for that  now the dog is a lovely character in the book  his his name is holiday which is just gorgeous in itself and uh the whole notion I suppose of inventing your own heaven I found really a lovely idea a great concept to work with I'd be really interested in what your idea of heaven is if you'd like to share it even if you haven't read the book if you could define your own heaven what would it be I think for one of our callers it was unlimited time alone so you can read  without uh interruptions from small people. Jurate what would your heaven look like.
I think someone asked me that a few weeks ago when I was first r rereading the book and I just I really don't know. Isn't that terrible it's like I have no concept at all. I cah I really I we were th talking about that old song before we went on air heaven is place on earth  and I think I'm I'm a bit of an earth girl really . I'm a bit of a  y'know if we're gunna get a bit spiritual let's go with the beautiful tropical island the blue seas the golden sands and a beautiful sunset I know it sounds pathetic but really. I love it I love and it's like I think that was in the book as well Susie remembering all those wonderful sensory perceptions the smells that you get even skunk smell she talked about remember and um and the sights and flowers and food and you think yeah it's great it's actually great down here despite everything.
Mm  Margaret's in Anglesea hello Margaret.
Hello Lynne.
What did you make of it.
Well we read it in our book club here in Anglesea last year or the year before and I could relate to it because in my extended family we've suffered the grief and pain of a child's accidental death  and her sister  really um behaved much the way that Susie's sister did she didn't want to  um be always worrying about Susie's death and she didn't want to be known as the sister of the missing  girl. And I think it's obvious that parents can fall apart because there's so much recrimination after um and so much remorse  after a child's death.
And guilt even if  you've had nothing to do with  it.
Mhm and I think uh Susie's sister who's name I can't remember.
Lindsay.
What was it .
Lindsay mm.
Lindsay really did behave the way some children obviously do  they want to put it out of their minds and say well this happens and therefore I can't do and couldn't do anything about it.
Yep.
But I really thought it was um a very interesting concept of just as good as anybody else's concept  of heaven.
Yes. What would yours look like Margaret.
Oh heavens oh I dunno .
That's a perfect response.
I would be in a garden oh yes oh heaven  that's a good response .
In a garden.
In a garden.
A fragrant garden.
Oh yes.
Good.
Mhm.
I hope you've got one  in Anglesea.
Well it's very difficult in Anglesea growing gardens by the sea.
Yeah this is true . Thank you  for your call.
We really had a good discussion that was a very good discussion at our book club  of that book.
And it's been a really good discussion today. Absolutely we've had a couple of calls from people who've had children die and as you can  imagine this is  uh very difficult for for them and they tell it tell us that it is impossible to get over.
Of course.
Anything like this and that it can definitely break up families and I  I seem to recall hearing some terrible statistic about people who had had this  happen to them. And the number of of family break-ups I think is  higher much higher than your average because of the incredible stress it puts on all the individual parties and their dealing with their specific manifestations of grief so  thank you to those people who rang to tell us about that and um um best luck best condolences six to three Lisa hi.
Hi how are you.
Did you like the book.
Um I absolutely loved it I read it um it was actually my husband's Christmas present from my mother and I picked it up 'cos I had nothing else to read and I finished it in about two days.
So your mother gave it to your husband.
Yeah .
That's an interesting choice.
Mm.
Yeah but um.
Did he read it too.
He did but he didn't read it to for quite some time after me but all my friends lined up in the meantime to read it. And most of them thought it was really really good. Mainly because um like we all think about what it's like when you die or  what happens and I just thought that was quite plausible and really nice .
Very desirable.
Yes ih y'know there's her grandfather 'n'.
Mm.
Yes that's a nice  scene.
And the dog.
I thought that was  yeah and the dog that's right and yet yeah it all made sense I thought it was really great.
And I love that little moment of tension she has which struck me as as just classic fourteen year old response where her father has had the heart attack and he's hovering between life and death and she can't make up her mind what she wants whether or not she wants him to die and come and be with her  or or to live and stay. So.
At her age I thought she was incredibly mature.
Yeah that  that sorta maturity bothered me a bit 'cos I didn't  think that was all that.
And the only other  thing that bothered me was when she sort of inhabited that girl's body.
Yep.
I thought hang on.
Yeah me too.
Mm  bit icky I thought .
Yeah and I thought I thought that it just lost a little bit of credibility there but yeah uh overall it was fantastic.
Fair enough good on you Lisa thank you for that Robyn joins us from Footscray hi Robyn.
Hi um I read the book quite a while ago and I got a bit angry and I think I dunno whether I've got it right or not but they could never catch that man they got so close to him.
Mm.
But the police did couldn't seem to work out who it was.
That's right until he'd pushed off and left the town  and went  without trace.
And I I y'know I got I got a bit annoyed about that I wanted to be c I wanted him to be caught.
Yes me too.
Yeah  .
I wanted vengeance.
Pardon.
I wanted some vengeance.
Yes  yes but um it was a really good book yeah.
Good  thanks for your call and we'll go to Mary who joins us from Geelong hi Mary.
Hi thank you for the discussion it has been really fascinating because I love the book. And my daughter also loved the book  but I just want to say the bit about heaven my mother in law used to say to me that heaven couldn't be it wouldn't be heaven if you knew what was going on on earth. You would suffer  so terribly to see the mistakes  and bungles and troubles your family got into so she said there must be some way where where you just don't know what's happening you're in another place altogether.
Yes.
Oh that's I think that's very .
Very powerful.
very I don't think her hah her heaven in the book was a happy place at all it  seemed to have to me a a feeling of greyness. To have.
I think she had to move on from that particular that was an interim  limbo and.
So I suppose it was a bit like purgatory.
Mm yes a waiting in room.
You wouldn't happen to know if she's writing another book or has.
I suspect she would be writing one but there's certainly no news yet as to what that might be or when it might be coming out.
Because often you read a book that you really do love and then you never hear of the writer again I'm thinking of like I Heard the Owl Call My Name which I thought was one of the best books I've ever read but I've never heard that Margaret Craven wrote anything else.
I'd have to find out for you I'm sorry  Mary . Sorry.
Thank you. Thanks for that.
Thank you for your call. That's very true that it would be enormously difficult to watch your loved ones .
Yes I think  that was a wonderful  sort of observation.
Mm  and I suppose that underscores the whole notion of the book that she did have to go through this point of letting go and for her family to do that too on earth and that makes a lot of sense to me . That that's how it would be.
Absolutely. I guess it just m it did actually wrap it up very  very neatly  and perhaps the relationship with the mother and father you know really if your wife had left for eight years perhaps you'd be a little angrier when she came back . You know things like that but.
Yes and he was he was totally devoted   the husband . Let's talk about next month's book.
Oh goody.
Just in passing  The Great Gatsby from F Scott Fitzgerald. Shouldn't be too hard to get hold of  at all. And
Everywhere.
Everywhere in all the libraries and it's only about a hundred-and oh fifty odd pages so it's not gunna take you long and you've probably read it before anyway so it's just a refresher course between.
And wonderful films.
Here in April ih great films.
Three versions.
Are there three  I could only think of two.
There's the Alan Ladd version  and then we've got the Mia Farrow version  and then there's actually I think it's um is it Minnie Driver.
Yeah.
She I think it's her there's a quite uh I think they probably made it for television there's a contemporary version or anyway nineties nineteen-nineties version.
So  visit the video store.
I suspect so yeah.
And it's also on a very good audio book which I'm  pretty confident would be available at the A B C shop so if you'd like to hear it and or read it there are all your options Jurate thank you very much.
Thank you excellent discussion.
It was great.
Yeah.
""" Ah look l Les Pete."
Simon.
G'day Peto.
Simo  you too.
G'day Les.
Good morning gentlemen  good morning gentlemen I find you both well.
You are very well.
Yes I'm yih absolutely dynamic.
Chipper is the phrase I believe. Is that right.
I I'm the best I've been for ages.
Hey good good.
Grr.
Oh he is too hubba hubba wing ding  that carpenter's got everything. Pete how are .
Who was that singer recently that kept singing.
Oh Chubby Checker.
No no the the woman singer with the the uh the vamp y'know that that the sh not I forget her name.
Must be getting old. Your memory's going.
A listener will will remind us she
The old the old zimon  . The old zilence  has got him.
Has it.
Yeah.
No the cat growl thing she used to do.
Did she.
Yeah oh Eartha Kitt.  Yeah  played uh Catwoman in Batman.
Yeah.  That's all I'm saying about .
That's all you're saying about her. Eight-triple-three-one-thousand one-eight-hundred-eight-hundred-seven-oh-two if you've got a question for the weekend Woodies ring in now we've got a uh uh have you brought in your tool Pete uh Les.
I'm Les yep.
You're Les .
Yes I have.
And uh have you brought in anything Peter. No.
Nah.
I've brought in a boofhead .
Oh have you.
Yes.
I  uh  I I've I've brought in um the um repair of Simon's ren renovated shelf.
Oh have you brought it in.
Yes I have. There you are Simon .
Hang on a sec hang on a hang on a sec this is this is 'cos uh those who are just joining us who might be back from holidays or something like that  I uh tried a little bit of home renovation when the um over the over the Christmas break and I had a piece of square wood and I used one of those jigsaws.
I thought you used your teeth.
Well yes it was my God look at that.
There you are Simon .
That is beautiful.
There you are th you can now screw it up on the wall.
That is well and truly polishing a  bad job  that I did isn't it.
No no it's not it's it's making a silk purse.
And that nick that's out of the corner is where you'd cut .
Where where you'd cut .
Oh no that was because it was actually meant to be one of the shelves for our stereo cabinet but we don't need it so it's now a shelf that's a .
It's now a silk purse from a sow's ear.
That's the phrase I was looking for .
I went to see uh Twenty-One Grams yest last night.
Oh did you. Naomi Watts.
Naomi Watts . And y'know uh what do you  w what do you reckon this this is Sean Penn coming home from work.
Yeah.
I had this d horrible day today dear.
Mm.
I had to fondle Naomi Watts for five hours  horrible job but someone's gotta do it . I only got a million dollars for it .
You wanna change careers.
Yes I mean guh thuh th wh what are we doing we're what are we doing here Simon.
Well you're answering questions  such as this one from Julie in Berkeley Vale how are you Julie.
Hi good.
That's good how's your day.
Ah good so far um yeah nice and sunny.
Well it'll probably go downhill    from the news let's let's start on that's right you want to paint floor tiles.
Yeah um uh we've just renovated our house um and we haven't got to the bathroom yet but it's got like Mission Brown floor tiles on it and also the downstairs foyer.
Can't have too much taupe in your life can you.
Sorry.
You can't have too much brown in your life.
Oh no no not .
And or beige for that matter.
Beige is beautiful.
Beige is a good colour.
Speaking  it's the colour of your shirt . So what you wanna paint them.
Yeah yeah and I don't know if there's a product out there that I can actually  paint over the top of the tile.
Have these got a glaze on them Julie.
Yeah yeah a slight glaze.
Uh  um probably not the best surface to paint on I mean if it's a r a rough porous tile  that probably would be fine . Um but I'd I'd uh I yeah I don't think you could guarantee a surface on a on a glazed tile a painted surface on a glazed  tile.
There certainly is an uh uh an epoxy paint which is d which is ds designed for the purpose. Um and but you may well find that they ask for some sort of a special preparation coat first a coat that would um etch that would etch the glaze otherwise the um.
You need to get some sort of rough  surface mm.
A a key a key and.
Look it th there is a etcher  isn't there.
I'm I'm almost sure that that the whole answer to the question is yes  that um that the first process will be to apply an etching coat first  and then to apply the two pot um   epoxy uh floor finish.
Right so you couldn't use that one that they're advertising now um you know to go over the tiles on the wall. As in um I won't say the.
I I I would suspect that the that the wearing value of that would not be um suitable for floor use.
Right okay then.
Mm it's pretty high traffic area isn't it  especially the the the entry.
A a bathroom a bathroom floor calls for a tremendous amount of work  and and that's why the why it's always glazed  . And um I'd I think though that you'll find that if you go down that same path the the same manufacturer will be able to supply for you a two pot um epoxy paint that would be suitable for the floor.
And two places to check if you go to a tile supplier and ask if   if they know of such a product  but also  a s they'll probably say no but then  then go to a specialist paint store not  not just the hardware but someone  that specialises in paints where are you Berkeley Vale are you.
Yeah.
Where's that.
On the Central Coast.
Central Coast.
On the Central Coast.
I used I used to have a block of land at  Berkeley Vale  when I was a kid.
Oh well I just don't know any specialist  paint stores around there.
I beg your pardon.
We're central we're the best part of Central Coast.
Yes  m midway between Wyong and The Entrance.
No I  let I knew it I was just that's that was my deliberate mistake but it.
Uh uh it was a test oh I see it was a test.
Ah that was a test.
Julie we're being tested.
There's a specialist paint stores that might have the product you want but you're looking for something to etch the glaze so that you you get a good key I think  that's the trick that's the key to it really.
Yep  yep.
Wonderful.
Alright.
Okay thank you very much.
Good luck with it.
Okay then.
There we are c  doing the tiles on seven-oh-two A B C Sydney and A B C Radio across New South Wales guess who's coming in after eleven o'clock for Saturday Talk About.
Dunno.
We dunno.
You don't know.
No he said to  guess.
Tony Delroy.
The you're exactly right so isn't that a I love it when Tony .
But will he turn up.
Well I dunno.
I last time he was late.
Yeah  he's always late isn't  he.
I listened to Tony's el delway  until two A M this morning.
And isn't that amazing that he uh uh working till two  and he will be back here at eleven o'clock to do Saturday Talk About.
That's alright.
Yeah I think that's okay.
It's not that good it's just it's what still eight or so hours sleep isn't it.
Yeah  but we have to pay him penalties because it's working with insufficient break . It's very noble of him and we also have coming along Leon Compton from A B C Goulburn Murray and Jen Fleming producer of A B C Afternoons to look back at the week on the wireless in Saturday Talk About. Let's head off to sunny downtown the town that's got the corner of churches and l on the line we have Janelle how are you Janelle.
Good thank you.
Is it uh Hoskins Street four churches on one corner.
Yes it's uh yes  yes yep that's it.
But it's no help  to your stained fridge is it.
No looks like there's some sorta cleanser been used on the front of the fridge and it's got this sorta rusted effect  on the front and I'm just wanting to know whether I could actually use something else to get the rust off or paint over top.
Ih is the rust actually ih zih biting into the um.
No.
Into the steel of of.
No looks like it's only stained it.
Oh really  the rust is coming from somewhere it's gotta be coming from the the the metal the .
Did somebody rest a tin on it or something.
No no it was just uh there's some wrong sorta cleanser been used on the front of it. And it's just actually stained the front like you can actually see where the wash mark's been done with the  the cleanser on it  on the front.
How old's the fridge.
Uh f three or four years  . It's not an old fridge it hasn't been outside or anything like that.
Yeah.
I I  I think that that as this damage has occurred to it uh while there there are materials called appliance white and uh and things like that that you can buy from your ha local D I Y shop uh and it does a fair job  I would suggest that because the fridge is still quite young . It may well be worth having it professionally sprayed . Uh where they will bleach the marks out of it first and then  they'll spray it.
'Cos you want it  the fridge to last for as long   as you can.
S see that I I would suspect that that that the fridge will will probably last her um seven to fifteen years depending upon make or manufacture and uh it would only cost I would think a hundred-and-fifty dollars for someone to come home and get the fridge and take it away and spray it and bring it back.
Or take the door it's the door is it.
Yes it is.
Yeah just take  the door off.
Take the door off  yeah that's the idea.
Um the the the products that that the appliance white products are usually for touching up little  blemishes  rather than a uh than a whole surface .
Although I have been known to to spray the whole  laundry cupboard . It was totally unsatisfactory  I got into trouble for it.
Becoh that's quite expensive that stuff you f f you know that would've been quite costly it would've.
Well I was trying to save having to buy a cupboard.
Yeah  yeah.
I didn't get away with it .
That's all we can think of . So try that.
At the moment I'm just covering it with children's drawings at the moment so.
Uh that's a great way to go.
It's a temporary measure.
What's ih it's a really obvious brown thing is it.
Yes it is.
Mm wonder what you what caused that what sort of cleanser would've caused that.
Yeah I'm not real sure but yeah just doesn't look very nice at all.
An and and have you tried various bleaches to remove it.
Yes.
Mm I thought they were  gone down that path.
Sounds like a respray of the door yeah.
Yes I  it sounds like the like the structure of the of the paint has been affected in  some way.
Yeah.
But maybe someone out there's got a bright idea.
Okay.
Alright.
Thanks a lot.
Thanks Janelle.
Okay bye.
There we go quarter past ten seven-oh-two A B C Sydney and A B C Radio across New South Wales y'know Temora's home to the during World War One was the largest R double A F elementary training school.
Is that so.
It is.
Look I tell you Janelle wasn't too impressed with you that you knew the four churches there.  she didn't seem to just wanted to move straight on  to the fridge  yes .
Still want to know about fridge door.
That's right.
N not y not you and your knowledge of the four churches .
Oh I think it's good to have it's a bit like Adelaide y'know every church every church corner has a  pub opposite.
It's lovely it's just Janelle wasn't really impressed that uh uh y'know maybe people of Temora are just used to it.
Bob from Neutral Bay  however has.
Though what denomination are they I mean it'd be good if they were  Catholic  Proddo a mosque and a synagogue.
No no no they're all they're all.
That'd be terrific and and very convenient .
I reckon . Bob from Neutral Bay said.
Stop stop now.
This is remember  we had um uh Julie from Berkeley Vale  . With the uh with the.
Oh the Central Coast.
Central Coast.
Yeah.
Julie wanted to turn her brown floor tiles a different colour Bob from Neutral Bay said that he once painted his boat a nice blue with epoxy paint he did it   about five years ago and then he accidentally wuh after painting it he  walked on some brown floor tiles with his boots  covered in blue paint  and um uh the paint's been there ever since. So he reckons that   using that boofhead logic  it's hard wearing Julie from Berkeley Vale should use an epoxy paint.
Tha that's that's why we we said it w we .
Equals a two pot  a two pot is a  .
A two pot screamer is epoxy paint.
Yeah.
It's a hardener  ih yeah one one part is the .
A reference hardener.
Yeah.
An and apply it with the boot of a shoe  boot sole of a boot.
Well I think yes that's .
There you go Julie give it do a practice bit somewhere.
Yeah paint a boat and then do it that way.
Yeah.
Geoff
Yes.
How are you.
Not too bad here Simon.
You've got squeaky chipboard floors.
Yes over the years you've answered quite a few questions on uh s squeaky uh timber floors but  not so much on squeaky uh wood panel floors or chipboard floors. I've got an upstairs area with carpet uh over chipboard  and just wondered what to do either now or even potentially in the future if I wanna take the carpet up and uh replace it with either more carpet or uh with timber floors.
Just renail it. It's uh y'know um use the spiral nails uh normally chipboard floors are glued to the uh  structure and some  people don't. And sometimes they're squeaking at the joins and sometimes uh in fact almost all the time where the board where the the board often uh a join is not straddling a piece of structure and it's not even required to because they're set up so that they can they can cope with that  that little span so so um that causes the squeak but the best thing is to um go over it and renail it quite cluh I mean you'd put a nail every three-hundred mil . Uh use a spiral fifty mil nail or even a sixty-five mil  spiral. And uh.
screws if I screwed it.
Oh fantastic.
Oh yeah by all means yeah yeah.
Yeah it's just a lot it's y'know  it'd be a lot a more time consuming but that would be better. Um uh but and then you can I suppose dump some talc along the joins y'know the actual where the boards wih the joints of the of the actual sheets. But um it's more likely to be with that sort of product squeaking because it's pulled itself off the joists   a little bit loose.
I always glue glue that stuff down.
Mm.
Okay then thanks very much.
It's too late now you can't glue it is it a first floor.
It's  the first floor.
It's at the top so you can't get underneath it.
No.
No um no I think it y it's all you can do is renail it.
Just renail it yep.
But or either sc or screw that's even better but if you nail it use a spiral use something with a helix on it so it really pulls the board  down.
And and ih if that squeak happens to be um in an u in a piece of unsustent uh uh unsupported floor. Well then you might uh when the floor's up uh c c can you at at the underside of the floor.
Not at all.
No.
It's got a f ceiling in the way.
Yeah  lool look with with particle board it's usually that it's pulled up and it's sliding up and down on the on the fasteners yeah. Alright so that's all you all really all you can do and all you need to do.
Uh 'cos quite often they're nailed with a with a gun.
And if I replaced the upstairs carpet with timber I'd just go over the top of the uh the particle board with that.
With timber how do you mean timber floorboards.
Yeah yeah possibly timber floorboards.
Yeah well you'd  uh few little little issues there one's ceiling height and the obvious the cutting the doors up and all that but you're nailing gotta find the joist to nail the boards to and you've gotta somehow cramp the boards and you can't grab the joist with a floor cramp because there's  particle board underneath . If you you use a kiln dried product that then w then will expand a little bit you'd probably get the boards tight enough but don't be surprised if once you've done it you you get little  cracks opening up.
Yeah mooh  moving gap.
Yeah you'll get little gaps between the floorboards. That's not an un  that's not  uh unattractive thing yeah. But use kiln dried material uh and leave 'n' 'n' s put it down when it's quite dry.
All floorboards expand and contract.
Thank you very much.
Thanks Geoff.
at least it won't squeak.
That's right.
Thanks for that Geoff.
Famous last words.
But it won't but it won't.
No no no.
It is twenty past ten seven-oh-two A B C Sydney and A B C Radio across New South Wales the Weekend Woodies you've got your tool.
I have.
It's a not it's a very nice one  it yeah yep oh okay you wanna do it now.
No no any time.
Well give us a teaser luh gih ih dih ih . Oh it's for tuning in the orchestra isn't it  . It's a triangle you've just joined the percussion group.
Bong bong.
It's medication  time.
Medication time .
Let's head off to uh ah uh  Terry in Harboard who wants to know whether he should wax. Terry are you there. Hello Terry.
Simon.
You wanna you wanna get a wax.
Just the back or the .
Yeah.
Or the whole thing .
The whole thing the whole goal.
Now it depends how hairy you are Terry.
Not very so won't be a big job.
Alright now this is the old timber deck question.
No not not an old one I've just built a timber deck.
Oh no the old question but the new timber deck.
New timber deck yeah . And it's uh it's all external and uh I'm not really  all that uh keen on putting on a um um a varnish or something because of the  the work that is involved with keeping it up there um with brushing it all the time.
Mm.
Mm.
But possibly uh an oil finish or maybe a wax finish or something on the on the timber it's um it's iron bark on all the handrails and I've used white mahogany on the posts.
That's lovely.
So uh and.
Sounds  like a beautiful deck.
See that that this you've you've done something very wise you've chosen materials that are durability one  for a start   and so the the the material is going to last. But uh and and you've also selected an oil finish to go over it and the oil finish will um  will will help to prevent the sun from drying out the surface fibres of the wood which is also a plus um and by putting an oil over it  you do you do need to come back to it every two or three years and hit it again . But um but the oil is certainly the most refurbishable.
And when you're doing it every two or three years do you have to l sand and then oil or is it just a matter of slapping it on and walking away.
Depends on how  clean it up> on on on how early you get it. You you just keep your eyes on it and the moment it starts to show any  d deterioration  .
Gee what are you doing Terry  minding the deck  yeah> ah still watching that deck .
I'm watching the deck.
Don't you think  you should go out or go the toilet.
No I'm watching the deck.
Look ih uh if if you do know what I mean  uh just keep your eyes on it and if it starts to look a bit sad whip another coat into it straight away now you'll find that in so doing you'll be able to simply uh recoat or overcoat it every couple of years. Uh from time to time it will start to fade a bit and uh and if it does just give it a a paint over with a with a wood cleaning product. And that's a that's a paint on hose off operation and then come back 'n' give it another another coat of oil.
Okay.
What are the floorboards.
They're no uh actually terracotta tiles. The whole the the the deck.
Oh I see so it's uh like like a fibre cement.
balustrading and the posts and of course all the fob subdeck frame is all timber.
Yep and you've got fibre cement and you've sealed that  so that you don't get water getting under the structure underneath.
polyurethane uh membrane and then come up from there. But what I was wondering about is the in the linseed oil or maybe m some more like.
No linseed.
No no linseed oil it go goes sticky. It's a pain the neck.
Also.
It won't dry.
Yeah helps mould to grow all sorts of things like that.
So you're better off buh getting something like a.
Proprietary line and you go for the highest U V rating you can. The higher the U V rating  the less often you have to paint it.
Okay then.
Yeah and there are proh there are products especially for there are d things  there's a product called decking oil and a couple of. No no but it's the company call it. A lotta the companies  have it they call it decking oil.
Right it's a line.
It's a that's a  .
Oil for decking oil  oil for painting decks  or.
Okay .
Okay then uh you've answered the question thanks very much Woodies.
Thanks  Terry.
Okay bye.
There we are Terry's going to uh oil the deck as they say in the trade.
He's not he's go he's unda  oil the handrails and posts and things  because the deck's got terracotta tiles on it.
Ah look tool of the week. Can I just uh we have uh my email has been down all week and I finally worked out how to change the uh the pop account which is a technical term   young people use to  make people like me feel old  and uh I've changed.
Imagine how we feel Simon.
Well no you're .
What's email .
I'm o well I I'm only thirty-nine I don't know about you.
Yeah I had to explain to Peter no that's a she male when he first told me about these  things  yes y'know. Um no no no and and so but I did finally get them through at about uh nine o'clock this morning and one of  them says  I would like to nominate the uh is it okay just to ignore him .
Just ignore him .
Yes just ignore him. Um give him it ritalin and he'll be fine  . Um  . What was I saying. Yes that he would like to nominate the person that uh uploads the tool of the week onto the internet the world wide web as boofhead  because they haven't been uploaded for uh six weeks now. And um I'm I'm it's not we've got the photos haven't we.
Yes we've got the photos  and and we've got the text.
Have we got the text.
The the text but but it keeps on keeps on getting thrown back so I therefore  I sent it direct to you.
Oh I haven't got it yet.
Oh hasn't arrived.
No .
Did you send it by email though .
I sent it by email.
Oh so we just say the boofhead's in the mail . That's the new cho it's the new phrase  the boofhead and the cheque is in the mail . Let's do the vuh tool of the week now  and we get this one online .
Alright huh the .
Don't you meh dare mention that family .
Oke . Alright now the  the tool I have is is is a very very useful  D I Y tool.
It looks nice .
It it it's used for  for detail plastering 'n' plaster repair  uh and the tool's quite small and it's called a plasterer's small tool. And it has a  a small  trowel shaped end on  one end.
Yes.
And a rectangular face on the other.
Yeah.
Uh so that it's the same configuration.
But it looks like a really mini trowel y'know how a trowel.
But yeah like like like a little   like a little little mini trowel  .
It's for tooling plaster into all sorts of little corners.
Into into corners and crevices.
While I say that there's no such thing as a carpenter's small tool is there Les.
No they're built like.
No  no   there isn't.
So this is it's fine metal it's very beautifully made  is this a very expensive tool.
No no no no no no no no that that um sort of under twenty dollars.
You're kidding.
It's like a mini trowel isn't it.
Mini trowel so I can shape with with precision  and then scrape the cah.
And there's the fact thuh fact th the that the trowel shaped face is only about fifty millimetres long means that you can get into fine detail places and then on the other end  the the um the plasterer's trowel face where it's rectangular um it when it once again it's quite small so therefore you can get into small detailed areas.
And and.
It's a very very useful tool.
As Diana Fisher on The Inventors used to say Alicia has now come up with another thing she says that it looks like a perfect baby cheesecake server.
Mm well it is.
Yeah.
Al y alt alternatively.
So it's got many uses around  the home.
Al alternatively it's a baby cheesecake server.
That's right.
But it's a pretty it is a pretty thing isn't it funny how.
So it's a tool for y'know evny  use any room in the house.
When things when something uh does the job really well it usually looks good it's that  form and function thing and it's   that's one of those it's very pretty.
Marvellous.
And we'll take a photo of that and get it on the net for tool of the week.
Very shortly John Hall along to uh do news headlines at twenty-eight minutes past ten. Couple of fridge suggestions Brian from beautiful Blacktown said he had a rust problem with his fridge he fixed it by cleaning it with a scourer. Then he got a pack of pressure pack paint from the hardware I'm sure he just said that so that  he could see whether   I could say it  Peter Pider  picked a pecker . He got a pack of pressure pack paint from the hardware that was four years ago and it's still all good.
Yes.
Oh good.
There we go Greg from Sefton says try some heavy cutting floor polish or car polish on the fridge and then use a finishing polish  y'know the  cutting polish  for a car.
Yeah absolutely  she should try that first actually 'cos it might ih.
A little abrasive sort of is very soh not is  yep. And then Robin from Illawong says cut out a piece of laminex  glue it on put plastic mouldings around the edges and hey hey no more rust. But you'd have to remove the rust first 'cos you don't want it to corrode underneath that do you.
That'd look bloody awful.
Would it.
Uh that's a horrible idea  .
Something to see Monday morning  um station manager Simon can you just explain why we lost Robin from Illawong as a listener  .
Nothing personal Robin . No no don't give up your day job Robin .
So there we are a couple of suggestions for the uh the rusty fridge and they'll be coming through as well. We'll find out about headlines next .
And this is seven-oh-two A B C Sydney and A B C Radio across New South Wales.
What colour is the laminex.
That Robin wants to put on the uh.
Yes fridge  door.
I reckon taupe would be nice . Brown.
Or   gold gold with brown trim would be nice.
Gold and then you could put little green around it  and old photos from the two-thousand olympics and calls it call it your Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi fridge . I think that'd be beautiful . Let's find out what's happening in the news headlines and a very good morning to John Hall.
More news at eleven.
We look forward to it . And John.
Standing by.
Uh you I know that patiently throughout the whole morning you've had your all that zinc cream on your nose ready to go out and enjoy the daylight you can finally do it and just after the news at twelve.
He's he's wearing his flippers already isn't he 'n' his   swimming goggles he just flaps out of the  .
Don't let them stir you just   nice shirt John  I   I I like the shirt . Very good.
His Hawaiian shirt his snorkel his goggles his flippers and he just fl flaps   out up out .
Hey John   Trisha McDonald said to say hello.
Oh there's a blast from the past.
Isn't it  I think we'd be talking Forbes Street days there.
I think we might be.
There we are sh.
A long time ago.
Emailed me this week and said that  you were the best weekend announcer ever.
Well second best eh .
Quick as a flash.
John Hall back at the news at eleven o'clock on seven-oh-two A B C Sydney and A B C Radio across New South Wales June from Glebe has called in to say she's trying to buy  a triangular square which was the tool of the week from a while back and nobody knows what it is. You imagine 'scuse me I'd like to buy  a triangular square well it's square madam no this one's triangular .
Ih ih .
How many corners does it have  ma'am it three well that's a triangle no I want a triangular square  what is the other name.
It's bright yellow plastic.
Yes.
To identify it for you and uh.
But what does she walk into the hardware store 'cos they are intimidating places  and they'll have a lend of you at any opportunity so she wants to walk in there and use the proper builder's term what is it.
It's a s.
It's actually a square but  it's ih this particular one is in a triangular shape  . But the  but it has a the operative it has a ninety degree angle  one it's an isosceles triangle  .
Isn't it. Isn't it yes it is you're right y.
Yeah go  she should go in and say I want an isosceles triangle  right where the square on  the hypotenuse  equals the sum of the square on the other two sides .
And this guy just draws on a piece of paper a triangle and says that'll be nine bucks thanks.
Y yeah .
That's right.
Yeah just it it's bright yellow plastic. So y you ask for a bright yellow plastic square.
A bright yellow  plastic square. Which you use to measure
In the shape of an isosceles triangle yeah.
Alright.
Uh and it's all she can do.
They just get a laugh .
Uh look well she's getting a photo off the internet isn't she of the thing she could take she could t download  the photo and take it all . Yeah if and  when that gets done because we always get around to doing the stuff we promise . Yes .
Yes Deirdre. Are you there Deirdre. In Coonabarabran. Deirdre.
No it's Judy in Coonabarabran.
Oh is it.
Yes.
How are you.
Oh well I'm well thank you.
That's  good. Sorry I got your name wrong.
Oh that's alright Deirdre's a nice name.
It is.
Um I'm hoping you can help me I've I don't quite know how to describe this but I've inherited a a bentwood rocking chair big big one  large one uh grandfather size.
Oh good.
Uh yes well it would be except the last owner the carers cared for the owner but not the chair.
Ah so it needs some work.
It needs some work it I didn't know whether to oil it because if I can describe you know the circles that they bend  to infill the out outer rocker frame . There are two circles and where they I don't know to call it a mitre it's not exactly a mitre but where this joins to make the circle  has come apart.
Right yes yes.
So there's a gap.
Yep.
And I don't know how to get it back also uh on the top it must've been rickety because they put two screws into the top through the bentwood wood which breaks my heart  but I don't know how to go about  repairing.
The two screws through the bentwood may well be standard that they they quite often um put a screw through the the bentwood frame to hold the two pieces together  . But uh I I I I wouldn't worry about that but but where the where the joint's come apart is the chair still sufficiently flexible that you can actually close it up again.
No no it's not flexible.
Alright okay well and and how wide's the gap.
Oh about .
A quarter of an inch.
No it wouldn't be quarter oh yes about a quarter down to about an eighth.
Okay um I I'd I'd be. I'd I think what I'd do is I'd just clean out any loose material in the gap . And uh I'd very carefully mix up some uh some of that uh two pot glue some  Araldite alright . Uh the the twenty-four hour one not the long term sorry about that but everybody makes  them the the two pot epoxy it might be a Bostik it might be a a Selleys suh w who h but they all they all make them.
But won't that show uh as an in im in.
Ih in yeah it it it will it'll be a a a dark grey colour when it dries.
N no it's not the colour it's the s shape. Wouldn't it alter the curve of the the the circle.
No what wuh  yuh 'n' 'n' ih thih this does not flex at all it it's it's still still lying quite normal.
Mm except where it's making the gap is spoiling the circle.
Oh I see  it it  sounds like you need a n need somebody with cramp to actually  cramp the thing closed.
Yes as long  as it wouldn't break the wood then you know .
No but just just I I'd it it won't c it won't be very expensive to have done.
Ah.
Juh juh juh just have a talk to um  to to a a local cabinet maker  uh theh there's bound to be one in town or a carpenter in town  it's a very easy job. And uh and all they'll do is that they'll put the the epoxy glue into the gap and then they'll close it up with a cramp and then it'll be back to normal shape.
Yes well uh uh puh sort of do it gently uh  a little bit at a time you mean.
But but but a cramp will give them the control that they need to slowly close it up  back into its place.
I see yes I get it.
Yep.
Well thank you very much.
There's uh gotta be a good old woodworker somewhere around there.
Ih ih it will  be worth having it done properly  because sounds like a lovely chair . It may well be quite valuable.
Yes I think perhaps it is.
And and therefore if you.
Anyway it's very comfortable.
Ih if you do  something slipshod it  it devalues it.
Exactly exactly.
There's gotta be somebody up at the Pilliga state forest round there that works in wood that would be able to help you out.
Well I'll try.
Alright good look with  it.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
pull it together with just  rope it up and then and tighten and  pull it together with the rope.
The thing is that you see that that that while the rope would do that it doesn't give you the control . And and we what we need to close up in in this funny configuration is to control of a couple of cramps.
Ian from Lismore wants to know where you get the appliance white paint that the Woodies mentioned earlier is that just a generic line name.
Yeah ih it's.
Yeah it's  not a tr it's not a trade name.
It's a it's a pressure pack and once again every   it's actually called  it it's called  appliance white.
Appliance white . And also as far as w what the triangular square is  from the tool of the week  earlier  we've had a couple of suggestions Sandy who um  says that she knows one of the Woodies uh very well.
Yeah go on.
Is Les gunna  have a good time when he gets home. He's gunna be teased about this all weekend Sandy rang to say d'oh it's called a quick square.
Go on.
I I  I I'm not going down this path .
You're not going down this one. And Rod from Homebush r called in to say if you walk in and ask for a  sixty-thirty set square  uh you'll be right  and Rob also pointed out that that shape is a scalene triangle Woodies.
Scalene eh.
Yeah.
But but I think that the quick square is isosceles anyway .
Ah yes and we have a boofhead of the week coming up uh Dawn's on the line in h Illihong  Dawn.
Scalene I thought that was that that dry skin you get on on the elbow y'know.
No.
No it's a  set square.
Scalene was the she male you were talking  to in the  pub last night .
Scalene the she male yes .
Dawn's on the line in Illawong how are you Dawn.
I'm fine thank you.
I love this the way it's been put up on the screen can her ol can your old deck be put in the log fire.
Well that's right yes it's one of those combustion fires.
Right.
But it has been painted with that um uh uh y'know paint that they use for outdoors on decking.
Yeah.
And I'm just wondering would there be any fumes or anything .
Fumes is it safe.
Mm.
Mm.
Mm.
Painted with when you say paint is it an oil that it's been painted with.
Um oh what's that  coverall that uh.
Just a deck paint or something.
Yeah.
Mm.
I I wouldn't not for sake of anything except for the pitch that it may well form on the inside of the chimney . And it may well um  cause a fire on the inside of the chimney flue.
Oh I see.
I I'm I w I don't think I'd be worried about it being inside the fire because  the door's shut 'n'  uh et cetera cetera cetera but I think that I would avoid using it in the fire because I'd be concerned that the oily nature of the material that's been used to paint it might cause some some ex.
Ah it'll build up.
E excessive build-up within the chimney flue.
Good call.
Do you think if I um if I just used it sparingly along with other wood not sort of just burn that alone do you think that might be .
Uh I I I would still recommend against it  because over the period of time  the same amount of  material will be burned and the same amount of of uh material will go up the flue.
Oh right  actually  I'm I'm planning on getting rid of the fire after this winter so  I wouldn't be worrying after that but.
Well burn it then.
So it would be alright just for one season.
Uh.
I I'm I I'm just concerned about about the  inside of the flue becoming um a fire hazard.
Right.
That's all.
Okay.
Is it a is it a metal flue is a brick f.
Yes a metal flue.
Uh just I'm a nervuh  I I'm a nervous old coot that's all.
Yes  so am I.
'Cos if it's just a thin coating uh was it oh by the way is a was it a a treated pine deck to start with or a hardwood.
Uh hardwood.
Oh right if it's treated pine  then absolutely don't burn it.
No no  it's hardwood.
'Cos that  treatment then it's fine .
Mm mm. Um yeah yeah  so if well I wouldn't be as nervous as Les about it but it's still with some reservations I'd  uh uh but if you've gettih getting rid of the fire next year anyway.
Uh I'm a just going to keep it this winter and then I'm used to l uh rid of it.
Yeah and uh y y c  yeah it's such a good s it's there it is it's firewood and  it's oh it's a teaser isn't it.
and there's just so much of it that um it'd be great if I could burn it you know and not just um  .
Why don't you just have a little fire just in a little drum or something in the backyard and have a look burn it and see if any black s smoh any if it burns nice and and cleanly . Uh and you'd see no pr n uh doesn't produce any kind of s serious smoke or black smoke  or white smoke then it's probably okay.
Dawn what we're a what  this is the radio equivalent of what you used to see in cartoons where the person'd be wondering  whether to do it and you get the little angel on one shoulder  and you've got the little devil  at the other. And  essentially what it comes down to is you've gotta see who you trust most.
Yes.
Okay then.
But have  a practise burn in a drum and see if it burns nice  and cleanly why not.
Well that sounds a good idea I'll start with that anyway.
Yeah  see she's an adventurer she wants to  she wants to  live on edge  right she wants to walk the tightrope .
Fire's burning.
Sixteen away from eleven on seven-oh-two A B C Sydney uh Paul from Tullaburgill Tullibigeal sorry  is on the line is that right Paul.
I am here.
And y apparently you're an expert on all sorts of squares and set squares.
Well it sorta comes through because I remember seeing a parallel when I went to school I did tech drawing and I did woodwork and in both classes  the piece of plastic or wood that had a ninety degree angle on one corner  was referred to as a set square . You used it to set the square angle in a drawing or whatever.
Uh yep.
And the other square that is commonly used which is basically shaped like two bits of material wood or steel  uh and you use it to try the edge of a piece of material.
Is a try square.
That's called a try square.
Is a try square you got it.
Yeah. He's absolutely c he's absolutely right.
Yeah but  but but  but.
And when somebody wants to repaint their fridge  all they've gotta do is stand back and bomb the thing with some white automotive paint.
Bomb it  that's a nice technique so ih spray it with the white automotive paint.
Yeah yeah that you don't need special fridge paint y'know just ordinary white automotive paint'll do the job nicely.
Uh it it would it will tend to be a bit stark and white and may therefore stand out like a neon light against the remainder of the fridge body.
Perhaps so but you could also repaint the fridge with any one of a plethora of colours available in the automotive paint catalogue.
Yeah.
Or probably  have a  mustang orange   with a G T stripe.
Put a V eight sign on it and.
Put a little sticker  this fridge is rocking  don't bother knocking.
Yeah.
Or y'know don't laugh it might be your daughter in here.
yes for your cool daughter.
It is fifteen minutes away from eleven on seven-oh-two A B C Sydney after eleven Tony Delroy Leo k Leon Compton and Jen Fleming look back at the week on the wireless got a few calls to get through and we'll see how quickly we can do it 'cos Linda's been waiting very patiently in Wahroonga well Linda how are you.
Good thank you.
Your parquetry floor is cupping.
Yes it is.
Ah what can we do  with a cupping floor  Woodies.
Are the are the each little bits of parquetry cupping individually or or there are larger sections of  uh y'know uh a whole bunch of boards cupping.
The whole floor. They're slightly cupping it's newly laid . What I'm wondering if we get the installer back  and he sands it all and does it again will that solve it.
No.
Ih it it may provided all other things are equal Les is shaking his head but um is ih was it laid onto a concrete slab.
Yes.
Um and were any tests done on the slab to see whether it was uh dry enough to  to to be ready to lay the parquetry.
Well what they did firstly  was they had a sort of a rubber membrane that they  put all over the floor to stop any moisture coming up through the slab . That was meant to dry overnight virtually . It took two weeks to dry . And then they came out again and put another rubber membrane over it . It dried quicker and then they laid the parquetry on top.
Is it a large area.
Yes.
Mm y yeah this one it should be looked at by a building consultant I think just  because there are a couple of possibilities the the whatever product was used on the floor may have re-emulsified and and not actually ever dried um uh there are some issues that should be that should be looked at on a hands on situation by a building consultant I think.
I'll bet any money th the house is air conditioned .
Uh yes it is.
Mm mm.
But this this started before the ih with before  we started using the air conditioning.
See what's happening what's happening is this . That there's a moisture content in the parquetry material and that moisture content or the humidity of the of the interior of the wood m m declares that that that the wood is of a certain shape and size and the air conditioning is almost certainly upsetting the uh the humidity in that area um is the is the part that's affected in the room that's air conditioned.
Well with the air conditioning this was installed last July we've neh  ih this cupping started before we s even turned  on the air conditioning  it's in the house.
Uh well then it but it's nonetheless being caused by  variations to the humidity in the room and hyuh and variations therefore to the size of the pieces of parquetry. They're expanding and contracting  because they're real wood  um.
But if it's cupping and peaking Les it's mainly suh uh absorbing moisture rather than  losing it and  and it's absorbing it from somewhere and it's just difficult for us to say for certain that that isn't from the slab underneath for some reason.
I think that  a building consultant would be money well spent.
Mm.
Uh who should I contact then.
Well there is  there.
Should have ringed that favour  in.
You can contact the Institute of Building Consultants.
Mhm.
So  they're the umbrella body.
Uh that's one of them and the Master Builder's Association also have accredited consultants and they can recommend someone in your area.
Mhm.
The Institute of Building Consultants' number is have you got a pen.
Uh y yes.
It's a Sydney number  n.
Okay.
Nine-six-five-one.
Uhuh.
Two-nine-seven-five.
Uhuh.
Nine-six-five-one-two-nine-seven-five they'll recommend a building consultant and it is good so that when you do have the person that laid the parquetry floor come back in you've got a s independent uh  finding on it and you both of you can work together to  fix the problem  in your best interest.
Yeah there's a lot better.
that he mucked up the job I wouldn't like say for certain without you can't say  without seeing it.
The expertise  uh that the building consultant brings to the argument is worth the money.
Uhuh.
Alright.
Uh what another quick question uh this um installer had insurance  and I I thought well we're gunna be fine if there's a problem   but hih psh insurance with H I A and they said it doesn't cover faulty workmanship.
Again this  is a matter for the building consultant to work out can he advise on that.
They'll advise on uh they'll look at that whatever inshu uh insurance uh is available to you um yeah absolutely to some extent but really wuh it gets there's a fine line sometimes if it comes at becomes a legal problem and then you need to get legal advice from  a solicitor.
Yeah.
Uhuh.
Building consultant usually tells you what the problem is with the uh with the job and if that pr a and if it's a mistake or an error by the installers . They'll tell you that much 'n' they'll give you some hints on uh where you can go with the Department of Fair Trading 'n' what have you but then you uh if it if it gets to that you see your solicitor hopefully.
Alright then.
Mm.
Alright.
Okay.
Thanks Linda.
Thank you.
Good luck with it.
Thank you.
Ten away from eleven.
Terry from Bathurst has rung in to say that he had a rusty fridge problem and I like this one. So what he did he painted the rusty fridge with blackboard paint and now he can write his s shopping on the fridge . It's really hard to fit the fridge in his pocket when he goes  out.
I like a man with a solution for everything weh well done mate well done.
That is good uh Bob's on the line in Croydon how are you Bob.
I'm well thanks how are you.
Very well you wanna get French polish off the table.
Yes yes I um my sister bought a table and I acted the expert and thought I knew how to do it.
Uh oh.
And uh just want a bit of advice .
What have you done so far.
Haven't touched it yet but I thought I'd uh take to it with some steel wool and metho.
Do you intend to refurbish it or strip it off completely.
Strip it off completely.
First hire a stripper oops  buh duh duh.
Duh duh duh .
We won't go there.
No.
Uh uh the the it's why not.
I love talking about strippers .
Not that sort of stripper Peter  just just down boy down down down. Gee .
What's wrong with nude women Les what have you got against .
Hope you like the tablets.
There we go  another   ritalin.
I I  another ritalin yeah I I I'd be inclined to uh ih  if the if the French polish that's on it now uh is the kind of finish that you intend to replace it with um and it's not badly perished well then what you're gunna do with the with the the steel wool and the  and the methylated spirits will work as long as you work along the grain . Be very easy with the steel wool to to make circular scratches that are s that are there forever . Um uh I I I think that I'd probably be more inclined to use an ordinary commercial stripper.
Oh okay.
That because it's designed for the purpose and all the metho'll do is soften the French polish  where um the strip the stripper will be will completely destroy it and will come away without any trouble um th there there are  th there's a um a stripper that that you can what's that that one you paint on and peel off Pete.
Oh um the strip uh wuh peel away system.
Now the peel away system  uh the that that that might do you do you very well on on a piece like this because you maintain such good controls of it.
Okay and.
You're you're only only gunna do this to the top aren't you.
Uh no the whole thing.
Oh no well ih well ih well then just use any old stripper 'n' and strip the whole lot whole lot and hose it off .
Okay and in terms of finishing it it's a t I think it's Tasmanian blackbutt .
Go on.
Looks like we. You you've lost these other pair go on  I yeah I'm with you.
Completely haven't I.
Yeah they're gone.
What would I finish it with she wants something fairly durable and hard.
Uh uh m make sure that  you get.
Got his mind  on stripper hasn't he .
Theh theh theh they've gone down a very bad path here the pair of them.
Yeah .
Let's recap  we want any old stripper with a black butt.
No we don't we want  t any old stripper with a black butt. Now now look .
Guys keep it clean come  on please.
Now now  it's very incuh important that you that you get the basis of the material clean you get all of the  the stripped material off first. Um y wuh when you were talking about using fine steel wool before if you do go down that path with the st fine steel wool you want the oh-oh-oh-oh steel wool.
Right.
Um don't don't use the stuff that you use for your kitchen kitchen pots and pans  because that will scratch it.
Proper really fine oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.
And  and having removed all of the  all the old material um you could use a just a a uh a satin polyurethane if you wanted to.
Okay.
It buh it'd be hard wearing  um. Oh  I I I wouldn't go back to French polish again  what what sort of table is it.
Uh ih dining room table.
Is it expensive is it  valuable.
I think it's uh a family type table.
Oh yes.
Ih ih w well t just just before you attack it too severely make sure that you're not devaluing a valuable piece of furniture because the the moment that you take the French polish off and put polyurethane on um there are those who would certainly say that you'd devalued the  the quality the of the furniture.
You get your sister to sign a a deed of release saying that that that you've rel released from any responsibility at all  before starting the job .
Oh dear me.
No he could.
But I I'd  I'd I would strip it with a stripper.
Thank you.
Alright.
Anh anh and then I'd remove any of the old material with a  with a um uh  piece of steel wool and methylated spirits. And the steel wool and metho will of course will remove the last uh residual of polish and then a light sanding with s say about two-hundred-and-forty or three-hundred-and-forty grade aluminium oxide paper. That's that white abrasive paper  and and then uh some satin polyurethane.
That sounds great thank you very much.
And will you let us know how it goes.
Will.
There we go and also waiting very patiently on the line in Nowra Joan good morning.
Oh good morning. I feel as though somebody's been having a lend of me and sent me to the hardware store for a long wait.
Oh yes .
Oh as consolation for being for doing for waiting so long we'll send you down a left handed hammer okay.
Thank you very much .
And a sky hook.
Oh thank you.
Are you.
Look um we're looking at buying um a fairly old house about thirty years old and it's fibro lined. Um  uh I'm not too sure of the distan the difference between asbestos and fibro I want to know are there any uh concerns for health reasons or.
It's a good question.
Look it's safe  in that form it does if it's that old and it's ih ih fibro simply a fibre cement sheet where the the strengthening fibres within the cement encased within the cement are asbestos fibres. Now if you it's dangerous if you drill it um y'know mm mm huh tamper with it such that you produce um dust and and all that sort of stuff but if it's just sitting there and painted it's fine every f.
If it's unbroken  and in a whole piece.
Every fibro house in Sydney's got asbestos in it  every old fibro house has.
If you're gunna paint  theh use you y use a plastic spatula ra rather than a s a steel spatula. Don't sand it um you w you want to avoid disturbing the surface of the asbestos.
Mm.
It looks fine as a matter of fact I wouldn't have picked it up to be fibro y'know until it was  pointed out to me it's a really good job  but if we decided to plaster it wuh could you plaster over the top.
Over the top yep.
Straight  over the top.
Yep yep.
As long as you bear in mind you're not gunna do anything that disturbs the surface.
No she doesn't mean plastering I think she's talking about putting plasterboard  you would put a plasterboard over the top nailing through to the studs and that would be fine.
Okay now wuh there is one little wall small wall we want to take down would you take the sheets out as whole.
Yep.
Well then when you start working with fibro there are guidelines aren't there Peter.
There are WorkCover um provides the uh the guidelines for how to dispose of it 'n' 'n' how to deal with it but the best thing to do is to take it off in the largest possible size sheets so that you'd punch you'd find the fixing nails   punch them through and then lift the sheet away use y'know wear a mask and just vacuum up everything and maybe even just slightly dampen the  the the proh take it out and then you get a licensed rubbish removalist to remove it and that's no.
'Cos you c definitely can't just throw it in the bin either.
No.
And is that expensive to get .
Uh it's not that much more expensive I mean if you were if it say that normally the rubbish removal's gunna be two-hundred it might be two-hundred-and-fifty.
Right.
It's that sort of thing all they do is wrap it in plastic and take it to um where are you.
Oh Nowra.
Nowra.
Oh right well they take it to a a a tip that um bury it basically.
Yeah I I pictured them turning up in those big plastic suits and.
No.
Oh in the white suits  and they put a whole plastic sheet over the house and wear  breathing equipment no .
And take out your two sheets of fibro no.
Yeah not E T .
Play spooky music.
Yeah no it's not as bad as that but it ih it l y'know you need to be.
It's good to be very aware of it.
And prudent when you're dea when you're dealing  with it.
You don't need to be f frightened of it and there is a lot of information on that WorkCover site.
Does it devalue a property ih like if ih ih um when you resell or.
Look it may a little bit I guess but only because ih ih it was  it was probably an inexpensive way of getting of of of lining an interior of the house really it's more to do with that n rather than the fact that it's fibro it's just not as good an insulator 'n'  um mm would be  better if if down the track you you put plasterboard over the top of it.
It'll be fine.
Is it ceilings and walls.
As far uh we're not we haven't really checked the ceilings  but you can see um a crack right along not a crack you know .
Are the ceilings  battened or.
right along one sheet which maybe it is maybe  that's plaster not sure.
No but it's pretty safe if you don't tamper with it and um.
Yeah  it's certainly not something you'd say oh I'm not gunna buy that house 'cos of fibro if if  you like the house  you like where it is it's what you can afford    go ahead.
Thank you very much.
Alright.
That was worth waiting for.
And make sure you find out about WorkCover 'cos that's they've got a lot of information there.
Alright then thank you.
Thanks Joan.
Thank you bye.
Enjoy the long wait.
Thank you
There you go   down in Nowra.
We'll send you some multicoloured paint some rainbow.
Rainbow paint'd be  beautiful on the fibro wouldn't it.
Bit of black and white maybe.
Yeah some black and white paint that sounds really good Tony Delroy Leon Compton and Jen Fleming up after the news apologies to Paula and Jacintha uh w I might even ask the guys if they'll answer the phone during the noise but right now it is eleven o'clock  news time.
""" Thanks for that John Hall now John Hall will be listening for the next hour 'cos Angus Stewart is here to take your calls eight-triple-three-one-thousand one-eight-hundred-eight-hundred-seven-oh-two something in the garden that's causing you problems give us a call right now and Angus can I mean y'know he is known in the trade as Mr popergation  Mr propagation. He's also known for his passion for natives and his love of o orchids am I right so far."
I guess yeah yeah .
He's also known  for his ability to open cosposting  toilets so he can tell you anything worm farm problems certainly helped us and although I'm still confused about dry ingredients we might talk about that as well but eight-triple-three-one-thousand one-eight-hundred-eight-hundred-seven-oh-two fine sunny day today top temperatures on the coast of twenty-seven inland thirty degrees Bowral enjoying twenty-seven and Katoomba twenty-five degrees currently around town on the coast it's seventeen that's four below  r Richmond and Bankstown are fifteen degrees Penrith sixteen Katoomba thirteen and Gosford twelve. One of the jewels in the open garden scheme crown is opening today and this is just a garden to envy how would you like  to have  a beautiful sandstone cottage nestled underneath a waterfall with a little pond and then a creek that runs through with thousands of water dragons so tame they come up and just  kiss you. Would you like to live there.
Okay.
Jeanne Villani does and we'll find out the secret of her open garden and give you the address so that you can go along today and tomorrow to see Waterfall Cottage which is a part of the open garden scheme all this and more because it is Saturday.
Eight-triple-three-one-thousand one-eight-hundred-eight-hundred-seven-oh-two Suzanne's on the line in McMahon's Point and.
Hello.
How are you.
I'm good thank you.
You've got a big fat  Morton Bay fig.
Well it's not that bit it's um it's about three feet 'cos I only know feet . About three feet high and um it's been doing so well my partner actually grew it from a seed we picked it up in a church garden  and our intention was to buy a house and plant it but we haven't got the house yet. So we've still got the fig and it's doing so well until recently. My um I think it's under stress God knows why  it's only on a balcony in a pot but it's getting a sort first of all I thought it was sunburn but the the leaves are getting oh um a pale ring and then after a while they crack . And  and then they break off first of all I thought oh golly it's a bug or something eating it. But no it seems to be happening as they're growing they're perfectly fine and then intermittently they get this it's it's as if somebody has um um put some hydrogen peroxide on them or something and then.
Is there plenty of drainage in the pot.
Yes uhuh um plenty I'm just wondering well obviously it's gotta come out of the pot and be planted in   a proper place but.
You think it's a case of Free Willy it wants to just go into the  into the open.
It does 'cos it's meant.
I don't know Angus is that the case.
Well the symptoms you describe um it it sounds could it possibly be water stress. Do you think the plant could be drying out from time to time.
Yeah well it could be maybe I'm not giving it enough.
Yeah they uh I mean they are a a rainforest tree that that's used to fairly constant moisture and and mulch y'know plenty of leaf mulch uh froh in the natural sort of environment um.
Should I feed it some more. Ih feed it .
Well I don't I wouldn't be so concerned about the feeding uh I mean what what you're in really is a sort of a holding operation.
Yes that was the idea.
So I think uh if you encourage more growth uh the plant's going to become uh more and more pot bound . Suh so I would be thinking about putting it into a uh a slightly larger container and just gradually moving it up a a container size every year.
Which I we have been doing it's about  oh it would be about three and a half years old now . And uh God knows how we're going to get it out of this pot . Um I it reminds me of what happens to a gardenia when it hasn't got  when you need to give it Epsom salts.
Right.
That's that's the sort of thing that seems to be happening with it. W would it.
So it's sort of a yellowing of the  the foliage gradually.
Yes only in a certain area and then that uh pale part breaks.
Right yeah yep is it in the older foliage that you're noticing that. Or the new growth.
Wih uh no um  yes it is well it is in the older foliage but  I notice that with the new growth  it's starting to happen too.
Yes well it yeah cih t obviously the a lack of nutrients would tend to make it pale off a bit but uh  uh perhaps you could just give it the occasional liquid feed. Uh one of the sorta complete liquid feeds that are on the market you can water that over the foliage and it will sorta feed those leaves 'n' 'n' keep them healthy  and I think just uh repotting it uh every year as you've been doing giving it a l bit more space um that's the way to go and they're pretty tough plants too so.
I'd hate to be be responsible for anything bad happening to it.
Yeah.
So maybe I should find a park somewhere.
Well that's that's yeah  they do need a lotta space  a park is a good option so.
Mm mm.
Well good luck with Suzanne.
Okay thank you very much Simon love your show.
Thanks for being on it.
Thank you bye.
The perplexing Morton Bay fig problem they are beautiful trees though how long do they take the ones that we see round town that are humungous.
Mm.
How long how old would they be roughly.
Well you're looking at hundred  years plus those huge buttress roots and that kind of thing ih they're just uh extraordinary.
And we've come to understand now that we should have lots of h h not hummus or tabouli but humus underneath the roots and uh those  uh the beautiful air breathing s almost  aerial roots.
That's what they are exactly they're they're sort of support roots but they do like very well aerated conditions so grow them in a pot is quite feasible but uh they do like that constant moisture th that is provided by the humus that you mentioned Simon.
And what about the um you know the the not ikebana the the the  bonsai-ing them can you bonsai them.
Ah yes they make  fabulous bonsais.
Maybe that would be Suzanne's option is to bonsai it.
Well I c could be s recommended that's for sure.
McMahon's Point she's right near North Sydney library she could wander up there and uh have a get a bonsai book out 'n' have her  portable  Morton Bay fig.
I love it. Good bonsai with a bit of suiseki around the base.
And a touch of wasabi bit of soya sauce  tastes beautiful.
Ah Lisa's on the line in Cammeray you've got mutant gardenias from another planet Lisa.
I have Simon good morning. Um I have some potted gardenias um which I've had for a while they we went away they dried out they were almost dead and I thought  trying to resurrect them I just cut them back until I found green.
Mm.
They've grown back. Beautifully.
Good on you.
But some of the leaves are enormous they're like sixteen centimetres long.
Yes.
Um but then others are normal size .
Mm.
Sixteen centimetres.
Sixteen  it's true I had a witness yesterday we measured it just to make sure I wasn't going completely mad um but yes  I don't know why.
Is it growing a little sort of like whip spike out of the centre and feet from the side.
No no triffid um  attributes or anything it is just the the I mean the leaves I mean it's been attacked by a by a caterpillar as well which I've managed to pick off most of those and I've got those under control but the  new leaf growth is just amazing it's glossy there's nothing wrong with it it uh  I mean it's just sprouting everywhere but some of the leaves are just huge.
Is that normal  for a gardenia Angus.
Well I wouldn't say normal it uh but it plants will respond to to environmental conditions so it sounds like it's been on a very good paddock . If I could say that you've been uh obviously feeding it uh quite well by the sound of things.
Well  look let me put it this way uh my green thumb is sort of uh more like a green fingertip  I'm not exactly um y'know terrific  in the garden I'm like I put in an effort  but I I just gave uh look I did um to resurrect them a little bit I put some Seasol on them to  to try and get ev y'know remuh mulch the soil that sort of thing  get them back on track and then a slow r release fertiliser buh buh but that was about it.
Well that's uh that's the idea though with those slow release fertilisers they're  they the nutrients are always there for the plant and it's uh  yeah it's literally on a very good paddock uh but also light conditions can play a part as well um leaves will will respond to the environment and if there's a lower light level they can enlarge and and become a a darker green because there's more chlorophyll to catch the available light  that sort of thing. So is it in a shadier usually.
Well actually I uh I h I have to really keep the water up to them because they it gets sun most of the time  but then by afternoon um we've got a sort of a m a mirella um sorta planted not far from it. I think it shadows the plant significantly in the afternoon I don't know if  if that makes a difference I mean like.
Well it will.
Yeah.
Yeah I would suggest uh s the leaves are just uh trying to catch as much light as possible  um so I yeah I don't think it's anything to worry about sounds to me like uh.
It's saying thank you.
It's saying thank you.
I'm just .
Might need to get it a personal trainer and wear off a bit  of that weight but part from that.
I just think the flowers are gunna be amazing  when they cover my home.
Yes yes we'd like to uh uh perhaps you could send some in for us.
They'll be umbrella sized .
I I'll remember that thanks very much.
Thanks for that Lisa . Enjoy your weekend.
You too bye-bye.
Sixteen past nine on seven-oh-two A B C Sydney Angus Stewart taking your calls in the garden guess what Angus  I have an orchid question for you next.
Seventeen past nine and before we find out the orchid question Sally's on a mobile in Nowra. Hello Sally.
Hi there.
How are you.
I'm good thank you  just travelling along.
Heading south for a holiday.
Yes  yes having a lovely time.
Very nice now you've got elephant ears that are suffering.
Yes look I I seem to manage to get them to grow really really well outside Sydney um and I know that they're meant they like sort of dark moist areas but I was hoping to be able to get a better result um I'm planning on y'know getting them to try and grow them in Sydney and I was just wondering for a bit of advice.
Elephant ears we're  talking about a a tropical uf sub-tropical sort of plant there and uh what what they need is is warm as possible conditions. So yes they grow very well on place like thr the tropical islands of the pacific and so on so it's about understanding their environment I guess 'n' and giving them what they need. So yeah d deep rich sort of soil uh but a protected position near a uh a brick wall something like that where they can absorb a bit of extra heat in winter uh that'll that'll keep them going quite nicely.
Okay I'll I'll give it a go if not I suppose a tropical island's in .
You might just have to move to Fiji .
That'd be fantastic thank you very much.
Alright that's Angus's advice live in Fiji.
Well Western Samoa would be my choice.
Oh would it . Oh  there we go that's completely different let's go off to that orchid question now and Danny's on the line in Baulkham Hills how are you Danny.
Good thank you.
It's an orchid seed pod you need help with.
Yeah I've got a well I've got quite a few Cymbidium madidums.
Mhm.
And I've got with uh several seed pods on it and I was just wondering when they ripen so that I can collect them and then get them uh see if they can I can get them growing.
Right well they actually change colour as they mature so start off green and they actually sit on the plant for quite a few months while they mature but gradually they will will change to a brownish colour and eventually they'll split open but they're a bit tricky orchid uh growing orchids from seed because they have very minute microscopic seeds that uh unlike most plants theh there's very little food source in the seed and uh normally uh most orchids germinate uh in conjunction with a fungus uh that uh is a a beneficial fungus that that really sorta creates an artificial root system for the orchid while it's getting established so what uh m or professional growers do is is grow them in a sterile nutrient uh environment. So  we call it tissue culture.
Yeah a nutrie uh a nutrient agar. Yep.
Yes.
I understand how they're grown it's it's just when to uh pick them and put them into the paper bags  so like I can um .
Well normally what uh they do if if you're going to get them tissue cultured is is they harvest them a little bit before they're mature while theh they're still um green but fully uh fully formed so do you have uh have you got a contact in the orchid game that's going to say.
Oh no I was going to develop that but um  ih I was just wondering what if you can give me a guide on what month like uh.
Yep. Uh well they're d it generally takes quite a few months for them to mature so probably about four months or so after they form I'm just uh I'm not expert in this area but  it's around about that sort of time so you'll see the pod fully uh swollen uh uh uh when it stops sort of growing in size that's generally an indication that seeds are mature and then as they change colour that they're about to split open and uh. You can try and germinate them uh actually on some peat moss or something like that uh thah obviously that's how they grow in the in the wild uh by just normal germination. Um but but yeah that's uh only.
So the nutrient uh agar's a a far more productive way of doing it.
Well it is you just get a much higher percentage and  and uh better success rate. Mhm.
Okay.
Good luck with it Danny.
Thank you.
Thanks for phoning in the other orchids that I remember growing up with  and they used to be just on the rocks there are the rock orchids which is what Trevor in Carlingford would like to ask about am I right Trevor.
You certainly are Simon.
So you've got them or you'd like them.
Well I've got access to some  I want to grow a whole lot more . A lot lot more . In which case I'd like to grow them from seed.
Yep yep.
I want to know what the seed looks like where it is and how do I propagate it.
For  sure the Sydney rock orchid Dendrobium speciosum.
That's me animal.
Yes they're uh they're actually a lithophyte meaning they they.
No need to be rude.
They grow in rocks and uh look they're a spring flowering plant and then the pods form on the uh spent flower so again it it takes several months for those pods to mature so you're actually coming into sort of summer autumn when they're maturing. So it's a matter of finding a plant that that has set some seed and again uh the the advice is they're they're very uh the seed is dust-like in character so  commercially they're they're propagated in tissue culture and on that nutrient agar we were just mentioning and uh ih that's one way of doing it uh the other way I suppose would just be to if you've got an appropriate sort of environment um if you've haven't got any natural rocks in the backyard you could you could bring in some large rocks. Uh bearing in mind that uh we don't wanna be plundering the bush for our uh our rock features. But uh if you can locate some some large sized rocks um I guess how they grow naturally is the those dust-like seeds are distributed on the rocks 'n' and uh protected usually in a very protected environment shade from the trees and reasonably constant sort of moisture.
Yeah I would someone told me to grow moss . On the rock and then put the seed on the moss and I just   I've grown dehn well I've had Dendrobiums growing for years and I've never gr seen anything that w could recognise as a seed that was all.
Yes yeah well that's uh probably 'cos they're so microscopic you you actually they're they're like specks of dust so you really uh if you get one of the seed pods and uh split it open you'll find it contains tens of thousands of of individual seeds so it's it's really a matter of catching the pod uh as it's ripening and um y you can actually put it into a paper bag and and you collect all that seed.
In the paper bag and then  what you sprinkle the paper bag over the moss or.
Yeah well what uh what you could do is get a seed tray put some uh sphagnum moss in that and then uh put the seed much as like is done with ferns spores  where uh yeah you get a seed tray and then put a sheet of glass over the top to to uh keep the humih humidity up while the seeds are germinating. And um yeah that that will give you generally a a higher success rate.
Well that sounds excellent thank you very much and just as a little aside.
Yes.
tree that I got from you at the open day at the tip is now two metres tall.
Yes.
And I've just uh repotted thirty cuttings I took off it last year and they're all doing well and I thank you very much.
Terrific.
Wow thirty-one trees from thirty threes from one.
Yeah good value isn't it.
Yes.
This is what we like to hear Trevor.
That's great Trevor.
See you later.
Have a great day.
Cheers.
Twenty-five past nine on seven-oh-two A B C Sydney.
Ah this is seven-oh-two A B C Sydney Angus Stewart taking your calls in the garden and very shortly we're also going to find out about Waterfall Cottage Jeanne Villani has been tending this and it's an amazing garden many areas of uh ur set around a creek the waterfall plunges into this beautiful pool and the house and the creek goes down through the property and it's part of the open garden scheme I think for four or five dollars or uh y'know you get to wander around the garden take a picnic 'cos it's enough to do that and also uh see all the water dragons we'll meet Jeanne Villani and give you the address in the next half hour twenty-six minutes past nine on seven-oh-two A B C Sydney a fine sunny day top temperatures on the coast of twenty-seven degrees thirty degrees inland and the outlook for tomorrow fine and sunny with some westerly winds starting ahead of a change and it'll be raining on Monday and Tuesday. Gillian's been waiting very patiently at Wyong Creek how are you Gillian.
I'm good thanks Simon how are you.
Very well you wanna propagate a melaleuca.
Yeah um I've got a question for Angus  um I've tried propagating from my Melaleuca viridiflora a couple of times and um all I seem to get are some dead sticks . And I was hoping Angus might be able to give me a few pointers as to when is the best time to do it.
Yep.
Um  the other thing is that the trees I'm propagating from they're not fully matured trees . I don't know if that's got something to do with it or not y'know.
Oh no that would help if anything uh so have you tried propagating by seed.
No.
Because  that's a I think probably the easier option.
The reason I haven't done that is because I've been told  I don't know if it's true that if I propagate from seed they will revert back to the cream coloured flower not the red flower.
Okay yep yep sure that  is a possibility.
I really wanted the red flower.
Yep yep  okay yes alright yeah cuttings are definitely an option. And what I'd be looking at is is taking cuttings uh at what's called a semi-hardwood stage which is uh ab around about now in fact.
Mhm.
So what you're looking for uh are the tips of the branches where the leaves have have started to or well have fully expanded um but the s the stem hasn't gone perhaps as woody as as um  as it will.
Yep mhm.
So what uh really ab over the next couple of months is is a good time to be trying uh and I'd be looking at a cutting say about ten to fifteen centimetres long . And removing the bottom uh few leaves  and then uh I'd be trying one of the uh the rooting hormones  that you can get which are um you dip the end of the cutting in a  and uh and then I guess ah just just putting into a a m a relatively sheltered environment if  if you don't have a propagation house.
No I don't no.
Yeah yeah um but I find a a sheltered sort of uh deck or something like  that where it's not getting blasting hot sun or wind and that sort of thing  will keep it c uh keep it pretty happy . And uh a good well drained buh you can get specialist propagation mixes based  on coarse sand or perlite that sort of thing.
And they're alright for natives.
They're great f yes  perfect for uh for natives.
Okay.
And uh yeah that's I think uh will maximise your chances of success.
Alright well thanks for that advice Angus.
Yeah.
I'll give it a go.
Alright.
And it it is worth trying from seed though even though you're not  guaranteed.
Yeah that's true yeah yeah it's worth it. I might get .
Uh  yes if the plants are growing in isolation uh if you've only got the red flowered form uh and they're pollinating each other then uh there's a very good chance the seed will come true to type.
Yep okay yeah alright.
Thanks Gillian.
Thanks a lot okay bye.
There we go Gillian and her melaleucas at twenty-nine minutes past nine on seven-oh-two A B C Sydney couple of gardening events from Simone's What's On include the Luddenham Show which is on today and tomorrow it's like the old fashioned show y'know the  produce show bit like Picton Saint Ives those sort of shows. Luddenham Show's today and tomorrow uh at uh corner of Park Road and Campbell Street in Luddenham and also the Blackheath Flower and Craft Show now Angus has been telling me about the Blue Mountains Dahlia Championship and let me tell you that is  a tense event it really is. Um.
Look there's there's nothing like a cactus dahlia to to really get you.
Ah mate.
Get you going.
And and the amount of work they go through do they still drug test at the uh Dahlia cuh Championship.
They do  yes yes steroids are a common  issue these days.
Ih l also be vegetables pot plants floral uh arrangements and all sorts of things that's at the Blackheath Flower and Craft Show it's the seventy-eighth one and I think it's children free three bucks to get in ten till three-thirty uh also another event on today is the Cattai National Park Discovery Walk aln  the Hawkesbury River and along the clifftop Cattai visitors centre and tomorrow the Cumberland State Forest which is a fantastic little oasis in the  heart of the hills  Cumberland State Forest Castle Hill Road West Pennant Hills they're doing a bush tucker walk where the rangers will take you through the bush you'll get to identify edible food and then you'll have a tasting as well I think adults are about three bucks children two bucks but you do need to book and the phone number for that nine-eight-seven-one-double-three-double-seven nine-eight-seven-one-double-three-double-seven and of course our open garden scheme garden which we'll talk about in the next half hour but with a fine day ahead of us let's find out what's happening in news headlines and good morning to John Hall.
Thanks for that John and of course after the news at ten the Weekend Woodies resume their do it yourself home renovation and has Les managed to fix the horrible piece of mutilated timber that I gave him last week after I tried to make a shelf we'll find out about that tool of the week and a boofhead as well so that's stay with the weekend show.
Right now Angus Stewart taking your calls in the garden and Colleen's on the line in The Entrance how are you Colleen.
I'm very well thank you how are you.
Very well but your agapanthus aren't.
No very sick  very sick . Yes they've got a white powder sort of stuff all over them and the leaves turn crinkly and yellow and die  and it all goes to sorta jelly.
Mm.
Mm.
Right it sounds they're uh one of the world's toughest um   plants the agapanthus. What sort of conditions is it uh growing in.
Well they've been there for years doing fine um  they're ou um plenty of light 'n' um just I don't know up the backyard in the garden.
Yep yep so they're not uh yes I mildew  ih ih so you can rub th off this white  substance.
And it goes right down into the to the uh centre of the plant.
Mhm.
Mm.
Mkay  so it's not a insect or anything like that.
No no no no.
It s it sounds like a fungus yeah. Wuh yeah I've don't I've never struck agapanthus getting a powdery mildew or downy mildew but uh  I I guess it's it's uh it may be possible uh I guess fungicide would be uh indicated if if it is a fungus.
Yeah.
Um so.
is it.
I guess yeah without seeing it I I c I'd be inclined to recommend that you take a sample along to to your local garden centre 'n'.
Yeah I I did think that yes.
And get them to have a look at it  and um ih if they've got a good horticulturalist there they'll be able tell you whether it's fungal and and um recommend a a suitable fungicide. Uh if it is powdery mildew something like one of the sulfur based fungicides would would be uh indicated . But uh I'd I.
And also with the local ones they'd know what was happening in the area too wouldn't they.
Yes yeah but it's.
Yes and I've got a good one at over at Ourimbah a big t  All Seasons nursery over there I think I'll take one s plants over there might be me b best shot.
Would be a good idea I think  to get a a a visual ala .
And they don't mind if you walk in  and say can I h can I have the orh the y'know the horticulturalists they sort of.
I'm sure they'd be.
They'd be happy to do that.
Yes.
Amenable but uh.
In the yeah.
Yeah.
. It's worth a try because I've a loh I've got a lot of agapanthus.
Yes it's unusual to to um hear of them having problems like that are they uh have they been divided up.
No not recently no .
'Cos that can sometimes be a an issue with clumping plants like that as they get older uh the the clumps tend to sort of ih.
W what's happened is some of the seeds have come off 'n' and um y'know grown again and even the younger plants have got it.
Mhm mhm.
As well as the older ones mm.
Yeah but if the clump is very sort of tight uh sometimes dividing in them up can reinvigorate them 'n' and uh so if you dig up an old clump and and just uh uh split it gih give it a bit more sort of room to move  uh it starts to grow vigorously again and uh with something like agapanthus I would think it would would would be able to grow through a problem like that . So that I would suggest be another strategy you could employ.
Okay then well uh  try all those and see what happens.
Yeah.
Alright Colleen.
Okay then good thanks very much.
Good luck  twenty-four minutes away from ten on seven-oh-two A B C Sydney.
Two incidents causing problems today uh are at the moment there is an accident involving a car and a truck at Lane Cove West that's on Epping Road at Mowbray Road one of three westbound lanes are closed with moderate delays there and also Lidcombe Parramatta Road between Hill Road and Birnie Avenue. One of two eastbound lanes closed uh not as sh many delays there but eastbound traffic affected by that one twenty-three minutes away from ten.
We've just had somebody ring in to say that uh it could be mealy bug on the agapanthus.
Wh mealy uh I mean I did did uh ask Colleen about insects uh mealy bug can actually look like uh a fungus uh because it it has that sorta white uh cottony appearance. So that's why I think it'd be good idea to get a a second opinion at a g uh someone who can look at .
Hop along to the horticulturalist at the garden centre.
Yeah yes if it is mealy bug then uh obviously it will need an entirely different treatment to a uh fungicide. It'll need an insecticide uh or you can wipe wipe them off and uh go down that road uh but uh it's it's a very nasty problem the mealy bug one and I'd be seeking help.
Very shortly Jeanne Villani to talk about her open garden but first of all on the line is uh Lynne in Engadine how are you Lynne.
Ah Lynne's playing the piano. Hang on .
Yeah no that's very good Lynne . Isn't that nice.
Is that Rachmaninoff.
Ah it's rack something off but there we go at twenty-two minutes away from ten on seven-oh-two A B C Sydney Bernie's on the line in Crow's Nest Bernie can you play the piano for us as well.
Uh no I can't  my little boy can.
Oh can he.
Yeah .
It's alright honestly . You wanna r move a satin ash.
Yeah a Windsor satin ash   Syzygium dansiei.
Mhm.
Just uh it's about one and a half metres high.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um it's been planted for about eighteen months just wanting to know if it's okay to to move it.
Well they can be a bit tricky. Uh wuh uh I mean any evergreen plant that that is getting to that sort of size but look uh yes Syzygiums or lilly pillies are one of the more amenable plants to  to being pruned and then uh regrowing and and I think that's the key to transplanting uh evergreen plants when they uh the the biggest problem with them is water stress so if they've got a lot of uh leafy growth as lilly pillies tend to do then it creates a lot of water stress on the plant if you damage the root system when you move it. So what I would suggest is if you have no option but to move it is to to trim it back by about a third  and uh obviously take as big a root ball as possible but but uh giving it maximum protection when it's uh been moved. There are some commercial products that that you can spray onto the leaves to to limit the water loss um and uh really waiting until the weather cools down as well and the plant goes into a sort of a a uh semi-dormancy . Uh all those things will will maximise your chances of success  and it it should be possible a metre and a half it it's getting to the limit of uh where it's a a feasible idea but uh I think it's definitely not impossible.
Yep yep.
Mm.
Righto.
Alright thank you very much.
Thanks Bernie.
Righto.
Let's see if Lynne's still playing the piano.
That's beautiful isn't it.
It is.
Who would think Saturday morning's the best time just to sit listen to the radio  play a little bit of piano.
Perhaps she's . Perhaps she's playing it to her um to her plant.
Well she's got a cycad that's giving birth so maybe she's just playing the cycad soothing music in the nursery.
Indeed.
Good on you Lynne.
Perhaps it's still in the maternity ward.
Uh that could well be the question uh uh William's on the line in Artarmon hello William.
G'day Simon how are you.
Very well.
The shot. My question relates to mwah to tomatoes and rhubarb.
Right.
Last year we had a terrific crop of rhuba of uh tomatoes . And uh this year some wild tomato bushes have come up in the compost as a result of the compost . In the interim we planted nine um bushes of rhubarb . We had two uh meals off them . And now six of them have died is there any uh opposition to growing op uh rhubarb near tomatoes.
Will tomatoes pick on rhubarb .
Oh I wouldn't have thought so the the sort of issues uh you're looking at with uh vegetables are uh it's crop rotation plants of the same family do tend to get similar diseases so y'know tomatoes and capsicums things like that they're  very closely related.
I see mm.
But uh tomatoes and rhubarb are that's they're a long way apart botanically so I wouldn't think there would be any link between.
Want to give the game away if I can't grow rhubarb.
Well it's a c could be a number of of factors. Ih uh.
I know that from the provedores the fruit and veg guy the two things that have been causing problems this year have been rhubarb and tomatoes for the uh  commercial growers.
Go on go on.
So the wet weather the heat the wet weather the heat  have caused problems for particularly roma and those sort of  tomatoes . And uh rhubarb's been tricky as well.
Ours apollo tomatoes and they've been a terrific crop but we just had to change them to another bed this year.
Right.
Yes yeah.
mm.
Yes you've done the the right things there but certainly the the sort of conditions that that Simon's describing uh we've had in Sydney as well and ih it it does tend to predispose plants to root rots.
Uh would you suggest uh replanting rhubarb with new crop new.
Yes but doing it in a different spot.
In a different spot.
Yes yeah.
Okay  right.
Good on you William nothing like fresh rhubarb is there.
Enjoy your program.
Thanks for being on it.
Good on you mate.
It is seventeen from ten a little musical interlude from Lynne.
It's beautiful .
No one's ever done that to me before rung up and played the piano to me.
Yes.
I feel I feel pressured uh precious and treasured.
What about her cycad. This must get.
Well the cycad  very peaceful. Let's.
Twenty-four hours a day by the.
Open the playschool window and see who's got their open garden this weekend.
Jeanne Villani you play the piano as well don't you.
No I don't I don't have time I'm too busy gardening.
I know 'cos the uh the size of of Waterfall Cottage how big's the actual garden.
Uh oh probably  three acres I would think of the eight acres the property. It it's hard to know because it sort of one blends into the other.
And it's in Bayview you get a lot of the sort of the the protection and rainforest around there from this beautiful gully isn't it.
Yes yes it's um sort of a bit cooler down here than it is in the outside world.
The uh there's several different rooms we follow the gully down but you've got areas going off with a dovecot and palms and that sort of thing describe if I was to walk around the garden what would I see.
Well at the moment you'd see a lot of purple plectranthus because um it's a  it's a it's a plant that's very hard to uh sorry very easy to uh take cuttings from and uh so I've got a lot of it and it looks absolutely wonderful there's just big purple drifts. The other thing that's uh looking particularly good at the moment is uh are the gingers and the bat plant's in flower.
Oh the bat plants are spectacular.
Yes. Yes and all the rainforest trees are now growing th that I planted to extend the rainflorist  forest belt. Um to protect the house um. Should the fires come . Um  they're all growing now so uh yes they're all different sort of areas.
You've retained a lot of the natural uh vegetation there too Jeanne  haven't you.
Yes yes there's a lot of uh large rainforest trees and then it uh goes off into the bush and uh  plus the wildlife so uh.
The wildlife you mean the water dragons.
Well no uh  they're they're no trouble because they eat the slugs and snails they're wonderful but uh  once the drought was over the wallabies weren't so bad eating all the uh all the buds on plants but uh now there's a family of brush turkeys have moved in and they're uh relocating the mulch and uh  and some of the plants too while the uh while they're about it.
Have you got any tips on dealing with a uh malicious brush turkey  Jeanne.
Ooh basting in a slow oven for four hours isn't it.
They they look as though they'd be a bit tough.
Now also around there are lots of ponds and indeed is the waterfall running.
Uh no it's stopped uh again because it hasn't rained since uh oh which was the day when we had all the heavy rain Wednesday I think . And it hasn't rained since then and it goes underground but um  uh further down the creek it's running but it actually over the edge of the waterfall ih it isn't running at the moment unfortunately.
Now I believe also that somebody works very hard cuh making all sorts of beautiful comestibles and teas.
Mm  yeah they're all ready all I've gotta do is uh cut up the cake and uh we're ready to go.
And what is Jeanne's cake this weekend.
Oh well it's lemon muffins and brownies and carrot cake.
Oh yum.
And have you got any lemon myrtle tea to go with it Jeanne.
No lemon and ginger tea .
Terrific or you need  some of those um.
I could go and pick some lemon myrtle leaves and uh.
You've got a lemon myrtle bush there.
Oh yes yeah.
So people can have a look at that as well I always get the address wrong so give us to us again.
Ninety.
Yep.
Cabbage Tree Road Bayview.
Ninety Cabbage Tree Road Bayview which of course is on the northern beaches.
Yes.
Turn left at um  Avalon. Am I right.
No no no no no.
No.
No  um if you're coming down Mona Vale Road you turn left before you get into Mona Vale.
That's right.
Yeah.
Yes uh.
No no don't go as far as Avalon  unless you're coming from Palm Beach .
That's right . So turn left at Mona Vale and it's ninety Cabbage Tree Road in Bayview today and tomorrow Jeanne.
That's right yeah.
And from oh in about twelve minutes time.
Yes ten till four-thirty.
We'll let you get into it and w how much are you charging for to go in.
Uh five dollars fifty for adults and children are free.
And uh bring in uh suh uh suh a blanket to sit on 'cos it's a beautiful big garden. Have a great weekend.
Well there are lots of seats.
Lots of seats.
Yes  they don't have to sit on the ground.
Alright Jeanne have a great weekend.
Good thanks Simon.
There we go Jeanne Villani there and the address is ninety Cabbage Tree Road in Bayview and a most impressive garden and uh you can see the lemon myrtle and maybe see the brush turkeys as well twelve minutes away from ten on seven-oh-two A B C Sydney the Weekend Show Angus there taking your calls and if you'd like to ask a question for the Woodies they're along after ten o'clock as well.
Now uh let's just  hear a little bit no it's not there anymore let's see whether uh Beth wants to take Lynne's place do you Beth.
I do indeed thank you so much .
Playing piano or um.
Definitely not no no.
You've got a cycad question.
I have a cycad question I hope it's the same question as  as the other lady's and it helps her out too. I had a magnificent old cycad   that has been in my care for about fifteen years and um it appeared to go to cycad heaven. And it was it's in a pot  and I simply left it and um  when it's rained it's rained and uh it's probably been I thought dead but we'll say dormant for  at least twelve months  . And in the last month or so it's had um a number of little cycads appear all around the edge of it . A mass masses of them . My question is um it's in a pot there's not there's really not very much room around those edges . Are these  little ones are they independent plants and can I separate them or are they part of the assumed deceased cycad.
Uh yes  yeah.
Can I separate them can I do something 'cos they will not last in the pot the way they are.
Yes you can they are uh little vegetative um buds that are sprouting at the base there sometimes called pups   and uh yes yeah they c they will uh gradually develop a an independent or root system of their own  which enables you to to split them off and pot them up.
Right.
So  when do you know is the right time to do that Angus.
Well it's uh I'd I'd wait for the sorta cooler weather but but also you'll see uh if you dig actually try 'n' uh uh lift one out whether it's it's got a bit of a a root system at the base.
Right.
So I'd be guided by the the plants themselves  just uh there's a a lot of them you might just have a scratch around one 'n' 'n' see when it's uh starting to develop a r a reasonable little root system of its own.
Okay well there certainly are a lot of them .  I've I thought it was my my personal backyard phoenix.
Ah.
. It sounds like it.
Oh it's been it's been a nice surprise.
Yeah.
I was pretty ashamed of myself letting it die .
Well there you haven't let it die. Obviously  if you've um you've nurtured it um.
It's come back alright.
Uh what sort of music have you been playing it just out of interest  to get that sort of result.
Uh it gets the regular sounds of dogs barking and chooks cackling.
Oh  yeah well maybe piano'll help .
I thought  a bit of A C D C but it'd have to be.
A C D C for the cycads .
Bon Scott variety .
Can ih can I ask one other very quick question.
Yep.
At what point is it too late to try to transplant a potted citrus. Where do you give up and just go buy a new one.
Well  I think that this is true of all woody plants they they can get root-bound  and and that's the uh the biggest issue. So really I'd I'd be guided by the the appearance of the root system. When you take it outta the pot if you see a lotta roots curling around the bottom uh really to me to get a decent sort of citrus tree y you're going to have to perform drastic surgery to cut off all of those um sorta curled roots  and uh prune the top of the plant to to compensate for that  uh you you can resuscitate them and uh I would say it's a kill or cure sort of  situation  and if you kill it well  g that's the time to go and buy an other one but.
But it.
It's sad already so.
They are very resilient uh plants though  citrus uh but if you do sort of go down that route of uh the drastic prune of the roots and the top uh watch out for suckers coming from the rootstock  uh at the base of the plant it'll sometimes induce those and you've just gotta uh knock those off with  your fingers.
Mhm.
But it it would be worth a try I would say to r to resuscitate it  but um.
Again leave it leave it until a bit later on in the year.
Yes yeah I'd autumn really is  the perfect time.
Okay terrific.
Yeah.
Alright.
Got a few tasks to do thank you so much.
Good on you  Beth bye-bye.
Let's see what uh Lynne's playing nowadays.
Ah you're not playing the piano anymore.
Oh Simon look I'm sorry  .
Don't be sorry it was it was a lovely interlude. You've  obviously practised that tune for a while.
I know you're culturally appreciative so I thought that might've been nice little interlude sorry about that my bad manners.
It was b   but I think we might have answered your cycad question.
Well mine's just it's about thirty years old and it's huge about nearly a metre and a half high  and all of a sudden we've got a baby at the bottom of it.
Mhm.
A pup.
Yes.
That's what they're called.
A pup.
A pup.
A pup of cycad.
There we go.
Okay so what what do I do.
Yeah uh well I think just just wait to to the for the cooler weather and and you can actually just excise that from the plant . Uh provided it's got a a few new little roots of its own  and pot it up into a uh and put it in a protected sorta position and uh with a bit of luck it it will just uh grow into a it's own independent plant.
Good.
And the music  that Lynne should play to it you say A C D C.
Well I've always had good success with with uh the Bon Scott A C D C type but obviously piano is is good too.
Working a treat . Good on you Lynne.
It's  underrated I think music and  plants.
Bye.
Six minutes away from ten which means it's uh less than uh ten minutes away from the Woodies and on the line we have Jack in Concord how are you Jack.
Uh good morning. Uh look I have um about sixteen golden diosma.
Yep.
They're the dwarf ones.
Yes.
And they've been here for about two years  and they've been going quite well . But in the last say two months I've lost three of them . They've just uh dried up uh or  or something's happened to them and they're just dying.
Okay so you seeing anything on the tops that  insect damage or fungal growth anything like that.
No there doesn't seem to be anything wrong they were  going quite well . And then all of a sudden they just started to go brown . Uh lost their uh green and they've just dried up.
Mm mm or lost their gold in this case.
Yes.
Uh but look there's a couple of possibilities I can think of. The golden diosma ih it actually belongs to the citrus family believe it or not um Rutaceae  and uh they can be a little bit susceptible to to rootrots uh and the weather we've been having would would uh with the humidity and so on would uh perhaps predispose the plants to something like phytophthora or rhizoctania one of the fungal root rots  uh so you could try something like uh Anti Rot on the plants that are are remaining to boost their sort of immunity to root rots if that's what it is but what I would be doing is is pulling up the the dead ones  and having a a look at their root systems uh because the other thing that's starting to uh come into play at the moment is uh curl grub uh curl grubs the larvae of the uh African black beetles.
A few people weeding go isn't that cute I've got a witchetty grub in my garden but it's not is it.
No they're well usually they're they're uh curl grubs or something similar which are feeding on the root system. And uh that can uh damage the plant in itself and it can also provide an entry site for these rootrots so I'd be digging up the dead ones and and having a look at their root systems if you can find any of those curl grubs you'll uh might need to take preventative action to to save the other  fifteen  golden diosmas.
How do you get rid of the uh curl grub.
Well there are various chemical treatments you can use um I guess that's probably the there is uh also a uh a nematode beneficial nematode that is available  for home gardeners that you can water in it's a microscopic eelworm they're called but they they can actually get into the curl grub and and uh kill it uh uh in a a more natural sorta fashion.
Yes well where they're growing uh like uh I had a natural garden along but  I dug those up and uh we had a lot of um oxalis growing . Now I had to get rid of that  so I sprayed it with um Roundup  nuh and then I covered it with um ah  uh uh um.
Mulch.
Gra brah uh grass mat . And then put pebbles on top . And uh but they've been going quite well up till uh and these three are all together.
Yes.
G y'know all the rest are good.
Yep yep m well again that would tn tend to suggest something attacking the roots they couldn't have got a a whiff of the herbicide could they.
Well I don't think so I I made  ev uh uh very sure about putting this Roundup on  I rung up their information bureau and they said it wouldn't hurt the uh soil at all  uh that's what their  uh reasoning was . So I just put the w I waited for a good few weeks  and uh y'know before I planted them.
Yes no should be okay yes I'd I'd be looking at the the curl grubs and the the root rot question.
Alrightio.
Yes I'll do that and find that out.
Okay  good luck Jack.
Ah and there was one other thing.
Ooh we're outta time Jack 'cos the news is breathing down on us I might  get you to hold the line and if Angus is feeling in a good mood he might chat to you during the news. Can you hold on.
Okay yeah.
There we go and also Wally in coh in Neutral Bay hold the line we'll uh get you to the news time I'm just wanting to let you know that the address for the open garden scheme today Cabbage Tree uh Waterfall Cottage is ninety Cabbage Tree Road in Bayview and uh that's right near Mona Vale on the northern beaches ninety Cabbage Tree Road in Bayview and Angus we'll see you in five weeks time I think on your home turf.
Mm.
I might be broadcasting from the studios of ninety-two-point-five in Erina so uh we'll see you up on the coast .
On my own dung hill   say.
And uh luke look forward to using the compost toilet or something like that.
Well I'll bring in some uh some worm uh droppings for you.
What are the  things we put in worm farms apart from garden kitchen waste I've put in torn up cardboard.
Yes uh straw  uh just sort of old old uh lawn clippings that have dried out  that sort of thing will will open it out and get some oxygen in to to help the worms along.
Oh that's what I need to do is to help the worms. The Weekend Woodies are up next speaking of worms and they'll be taking your calls on anything round the house that's causing problems and of course in Saturday Talkabout Tony Delroy is joined by Leo Compton and Jen Fleming to look back at the week on the wireless a fine day today top temperature on the coast of twenty-seven degrees thirty degrees inland but right now on seven-oh-two A B C Sydney it's news time ten o'clock.