Don’s calendar was unfortunately buried and forgotten under an onrush of paperwork and bills after a trip out of town… and is consequently later than usual. Apologies from the Vintage Red’s admin team…
Category Archives: News
Don’s Calendar, May 2016
Don’s calendar was unfortunately buried and forgotten under an onrush of paperwork and bills after a trip out of town… and is consequently later than usual. Apologies from the Vintage Red’s admin team…
Secret Army not so Secret
Well done to Jude Dodd, who scored a mention for the Vintage Reds in the Fairfax Press today! Read about the foot soldiers in the campaign to throw the Liberal party out of government on the 2nd July…
That secret army’s not so secret anymore
Jenna Price, Canberra Times, 23 May 2016
A couple of my kids got the call-up to serve.
Some of their friends. Some of the parents of their friends, older people as well as young. They were all being drafted into working for a secret army, an army to keep former prime minister Tony Abbott to one term.
Judging on the basis of that campaign – a combination of organising, talking, tweeting and Facebooking – the secret army won its first battle, ably assisted by their unnatural ground allies, the Federal Liberal Party.
UnionsACT “We are Union” campaign
Moira Cully from UnionsACT spoke to the April Vintage Reds meeting to remind us that we will be gearing up for an ACT election (with eight more seats than last time) in October.
UnionsACT is up and ready, and on a campaign footing. Their vision for Canberra covers 6 points:
1. Strong and well-funded public services and emergency services;
2. Q
uality public hospitals and affordable healthcare;
3. Quality, well-sourced schools;
4. Secure jobs, rights at work and workplace safety;
5. Tackling inequality and ensuring fair taxation; and
6. Commitment to public ownership of public assets and services
There will be plenty of opportunities for volunteers in the five seats of Kurrajong, Ginninderra, Yerrabi, Brindabella and Murrumbidgee. Contact Moira, moiracully@unionsact.org.au.
Questions for Malcolm
Vintage Reds member and president of the Superannuated Commonwealth Officers’ Association, Annette Barbetti, was one of many excellent speakers at a rally in front of Parliament House on Monday 18 April.
Annette spoke about the difficulties faced by pensioners and superannuants under the current government.
Guardian Australia writer Van Badham fronted the rally, organised by the ACTU, and the twitter hashtag #questionsformalcolm trended wildly as people jumped into the conversation with their own concerns:
The CFMEU asks Malcolm, “Why would you rather collect HECS from the dead than collect Tax from billionaires?”
Glenn Fowler at the AEU asks Malcolm, “Why won’t your government honour its signed commitments to fund schools according to student need?”
Don’s April 2016 calendar
This is Don Dwyer’s Exclusive Calendar of Events for Canberrans.
Don Dwyer’s February 2016 calendar
Here for your enjoyment is Don’s first Calendar for 2016.
Don says: “This is prime time (until November) for Canberra events. There are far too many for me to list so please check the list at the bottom to see if there is anything else of interest.”
VR Christmas lunch, and a fishy story
Vintage Reds tied up the end of the year with the December meeting, followed by lunch.
We filled the restaurant, an impressive turn-out of VRs and family members which augurs well for next year’s activities.
The diners were treated to a brief performance of songs: Joe Hill, Bread and Roses, and Solidarity, sung by the VR Christmas Lunch Specialist Singers. Then the plates arrived and we mowed our way through large quantities of food and drink.
The Singers’ table encountered some confusion in the ordering and paying for its dishes; but from this confusion has sprung Art, namely a poem commemorating the event:
Never mind the metre, keep an eye out for the bones
by Bill Rowlings
People’s Climate March
Canberra’s march was a big one, 6000 or so, filling the traffic ramp from Parliament going down to the lights, and still a tail coming around the corner at the back.
Vintage Reds joined the red contingent, representing “the front lines of change”, and made up of a vast swirl of AEU flags, individual AEU school banners, and ALP T-shirts, among others. Others clumped into purple, green, rainbow groups… a lovely sight.
Photo: Jane Timbrell
Don Dwyer’s Canberra Calendar, December 2015
17 to 29 November @ Civic Square
Aspen Island Theatre Company, “The Public Theatre”
21 to 29 November @ the Street, 7.30 pm (and 6 pm Sundays)
The Chain Bridge, by Tom Davis
Friday 27 November @8 pm Q Theatre, Queanbeyan
Sydney World Music Chamber Orchestra
Sunday 29 November @ 12 Parliament House
People’s Climate March
@2 pm NLA Theatre
2015 Harold White lecture: Hannie Rayson,
“The Author is Not Dead: She is coming to a microphone near you.”
Monday 30 November @ 6 pm National Library Bookshop
Book launch: Inspiring Australians, by Penelope Hanley