who is primary carer for the actor since his dementia diagnosis in 2023 says there is ‘a broader story’ to tell about their plight Emma Heming Willis, the primary carer for her husband, the actor Bruce Willis, who is suffering from a rare form of dementia, has issued a statement in the wake of the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa An investigation by local authorities in New Mexico concluded last week that Arakawa died of a rare respiratory disease around seven days before her husband meaning that it was likely he spent a week by himself disorientated and increasingly malnourished His Alzheimer’s disease led investigators to suspect he may have remained unaware his wife had died was eventually found near the entrance to their home in Santa Fe Speaking on Instagram said she hoped the tragic deaths of the couple and one of their dogs would prompt people to reflect on the “broader story” “I do really believe that there is some learning,” she said and that it is so important that we show up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person.” She continued: “I think that there’s this common misconception that caregivers Willis, 69, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023, the year after he announced his retirement due to aphasia as well as his daughters and ex-wife Demi Moore have been praised for their candour discussing his condition and their support of the former action star “Having resources and information readily available is imperative,” she has said of the book “I know between my experience and other care partners that I have spoken to; our stories are unfortunately similar.” Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa in 1989 Photograph: Landmark Media/AlamyQuestions have been raised by many about why Hackman and his wife did not appear to have a more robust support network in place The circumstances of Hackman’s death have substantially affected the legacy of one of Hollywood’s most venerated stars with his and Arakawa’s plight highlighting the obstacles faced by vulnerable elderly people and those who look after them Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time There are not many better places to hold a press conference than a pub on a sunny Friday Today I was in the beer garden of the Retreat Hotel in Sydney Road Wills candidate Samantha Ratnam was joined by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young and two performers to launch a policy that would provide tax breaks for venues Wills Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young talk live music at the Retreat Hotel The Greens said the policy had been analysed by the Parliamentary Budget Office and would cost $700 million over the forward estimates They are citing modelling that it would lead to an 18 per cent increase in live performances in the first year and a 35 per cent ongoing increase who helped spruik the policy with some air-guitar playing on Instagram said it was aimed at helping venues such as the Retreat stay open after the COVID-19 pandemic led to a downturn for the music industry and it’s for making sure that artists can tour around the country,” she said A federal parliamentary inquiry into the “challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry” recently proposed a tax offset for live performances among its 20 recommendations for the sector The report did not suggest a precise model but it did cite a submission from APRA/AMCOS (which administers royalties on behalf of songwriters composers and music publishers) that claimed: “A combined venue offset (of 5 per cent of expenses …) would boost the incomes of musicians and artists by $205 million per year with an additional 203,200 gigs.” Ratnam was asked for her favourite live music venue in Wills “We have attracted artists to come and make this their home because they are surrounded by other artists and performers But also because we’ve had the venues to support live performers for a number of years,” she said which is why this proposal is going to be so welcomed by so many venues across the electorate.” One of the musicians appearing with the Greens said the policy would help relieve some of the financial risk and strain on artists but in this increasingly unstable climate .. benefit from the cultural and human enrichment that music provides.” Thanks for joining The Age “hot seat” blog this week Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will both take to the stage on Sunday to launch their campaigns to the party faithful Postal voting opens soon after the launches and pre-poll voting centres open progressively from April 22 ahead of the May 3 poll date The Kooyong ballot draw in Kew today.Credit: Penny Stephens In Wills, housing and cost-of-living announcements dominated the duelling between the two key candidates: Labor MP Peter Khalil and the Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam Both candidates drew support from appearances in the electorate with federal colleagues: Labor’s Housing Minister Claire O’Neil and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young In Bruce, the campaign of Liberal candidate Zahid Safi was overshadowed by revelations of his campaign manager Andrew McNabb’s offensive social media posts. The campaign manager has since resigned from the party The “hot seats” blog returns on Monday with more breaking news from our senior reporters on the ground in these crucial seats Opposition Leader Peter Dutton popped up on the campaign trail with Goldstein candidate Tim Wilson yesterday for a photo opportunity featuring Wilson’s prized campaign van Polly Polly is a Toyota HiAce in royal Liberal blue featuring a larger than life picture of Wilson on each side with the slogan “our community first” Goldstein Liberal candidatae Tim Wilson behind the wheel in Polly with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton while the party’s Macnamara candidate Benson Saulo watches on.Credit: James Brickwood Wilson posted footage on social media of him giving Polly a wash before her moment in the spotlight Wilson said there was a whole naming process among his volunteers with other name suggestions including Vida (the electorate is named after pioneering feminist Vida Goldstein) before settling on “Polly Tician the Victory Van” Dutton spruiking his fuel excise policy on Thursday with Wilson Saulo and Liberal state Opposition Leader Brad Battin.Credit: James Brickwood Dutton and Wilson used Polly to spruik the Liberals’ pledge to slash the price of petrol by 24.4¢ per litre for one year and to dump Labor’s penalties on gas-guzzling vehicles They were photographed together in Caulfield along with Benson Saulo Wilson and Dutton drove in Polly to a 7-Eleven in Caulfield for the photo opportunity Wilson said: “We picked Peter Dutton up and took him to a nearby petrol station to get a tank of petrol and say g’day to Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin which would be 25 cents less tax per litre under a Liberal-led government.” Wilson declined to comment on whether Dutton actually made it as far as Goldstein or just around the block We brought you news earlier this week of a social media account by Andrew McNabb campaign manager for the Liberal candidate for Bruce McNabb posted dozens of expletive-laden comments about Labor and sprayed anyone who dared criticise the Liberal Party with insults Liberal Party HQ snapped into action on Tuesday and within an hour of receiving questions from The Age a spokesperson said McNabb would no longer work on the campaign “These comments do not reflect the party’s values or the standards we expect.” there were concerns it was a very different story Multiple Liberal members said Safi and McNabb had told members throughout the week McNabb would continue working on the campaign “behind the scenes” Liberal member Sodhi Charan praised McNabb on Wednesday in a since-deleted Facebook post “Well done for running such a great campaign,” Charan wrote “We will win Bruce and we can see people panicking and creating a fake stories [sic] Keep it up and we are all with you uncle Andrew McNabb.” Andrew McNabb (left) at Zahid Safi’s campaign launch.Credit: Charlotte Grieve who spoke to The Age on the condition of anonymity to speak about party matters became increasingly frustrated by McNabb’s ongoing association with the campaign saying he damaged the party’s brand and Safi’s chances at victory We went to the Liberal Party with more questions about McNabb’s involvement with the party and today we received a new statement “Mr McNabb resigned his membership of the Party yesterday afternoon Some party members say this still doesn’t go far enough claiming McNabb can simply reapply for membership after the election and the formal expulsion process is the only way to ensure he doesn’t return The controversial Victorian Liberal candidate who challenged former premier Daniel Andrews in his Mulgrave seat at the 2022 state election Neither McNabb and Safi responded to requests for comment Ballot orders were drawn for all electorates today a Trumpet of Patriots candidate got the No.1 spot so will benefit from any donkey votes incumbent independent Zoe Daniel and Liberal candidate Tim Wilson took out the bottom two spots The ballot draw for the Bruce electorate.Credit: Justin McManus Labor’s Peter Khalil secured the second spot on the ballot while Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam was sixth The Socialist Alliance’s Sue Bolton was first One Nation candidate Bianca Colecchia scored the No.1 spot on the ballot Sitting MP Labor’s Julian Hill will be third on the ballot while the Liberals’ Zahid Safi secured the fifth spot There’s something very … Australian about how we decide the order of candidates on the ballot paper As I mentioned on Tuesday, there’s a marginal advantage to drawing a higher position on the ballot Some voters simply number candidates according to the order in which they appear on the ballot – a donkey vote – so being at the top helps Independent MP Monique Ryan at the Kooyong ballot draw.Credit: Penny Stephens The Kooyong candidates who showed up for today’s ballot draw were clearly enjoying themselves Among those present were independent MP Monique Ryan Libertarian Party candidate Richard Pepper drew the top position While she wasn’t in the largely empty Kew showroom where the draw was held someone from her campaign evidently was – and let out a triumphant “YES!!” when her ball came out the room quietened as the rest of the candidates learnt their fate Labor’s Crosby laughed off his wooden spoon spot “I’ll get the reverse donkey vote,” he said Trumpet of Patriots candidate David Vader.Credit: Penny Stephens Ryan may have been disappointed with sixth but didn’t show it when I spoke with her afterwards She downplayed the significance of ballot positions saying Kooyong voters were generally too engaged to fall for a donkey vote “The numbers fall as the numbers fall,” she said Last time we were concerned that in not naming preferences [on how to vote cards] or not having a preference distribution but we didn’t find that that was the case.” “Because it’s quite – as you saw with those guys – a significant moment being here really doesn’t influence things at all but it’s part of the campaign experience and [for me] very memorable on both occasions.” I’ve sought comment from Hamer on her draw and to ask why she didn’t attend while the draw was under way a truck carting gigantic Amelia Hamer billboards cruised past up High Street in Kew Victoria Police are investigating the source of unauthorised banners with homophobic messages about Labor MP Julian Hill spotted in south-east Melbourne on Friday morning carry rainbow graphics and messages about Hill’s personal life “Julian Hill MP – more worried about his husband than his constituents,” one banner stated Labor MP Julian Hill has condemned the banners.Credit: Elke Meitzel Hill is gay and has a partner but is not married He said Liberal campaign buses were seen close to some of the posters and accused the party of being behind the slurs directly or indirectly “No one should be surprised that these Liberals and their nasty mates stoop to these sorts of smears as they’ve got nothing positive to say,” Hill said “I always have and always will stand up for everyone in the Bruce electorate A Liberal Party spokesperson said the party had nothing to do with the banners and reported them to the Australian Electoral Commission “The Liberal Party is not responsible for this banner and we condemn this type of behaviour,” the spokesperson said Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was asked about the signs at a press conference this morning A police spokesperson said officers responded to reports of two offensive banners hung on an overpass bridge in Dandenong this morning and were calling for information “Officers attended Hemmings Park bridge overpass “There is absolutely no place for hate-based behaviour in our society and police will not tolerate such activity “Investigations into this incident remain ongoing.” The police spokesperson said more banners were found later in the day police have been advised of further incidents where banners have been displayed in various places including Casey and Cardinia local government areas.” The police spokesperson said some posters were removed Police are asking for anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 A spokesperson for the AEC said: “We’re having a look into this with regard to authorisation requirements.” Advance Australia and Muslim Votes Matter both said they were not involved in the banners “We unreservedly condemn those banners and we have absolutely nothing to do with them,” Muslim Votes Matters spokesperson Ghaith Krayem said “We have no issue with any of the candidates’ personal lives.” Long-promised changeroom upgrades at the Sandringham Football Club look like they are going to finally get the green light after years of political football There’s no doubt this upgrade is desperately needed – there’s only one open space for players to get changed in and one for umpires pictured at the Trevor Barker Oval with athletes back in 2022 when she began advocating for the upgrade has taken some credit for the major parties’ funding commitment.Credit: Zoe Daniel an open urinal and no private showers: just four shower heads side-by-side Female players have been getting changed in their cars Labor last night announced $1.8 million towards the change room upgrades with Labor’s newly announced candidate for Goldstein calling it a “game changer” for local clubs that use the Trevor Barker Oval “We want to encourage more women and girls to get into sport,” she said they have to feel comfortable using the facilities I’m so pleased that a re-elected Albanese Labor government will invest in this project and support our local sporting community.” That’s the same changeroom upgrade that the Liberals last month announced they would also contribute $1.8 million to if elected Liberal candidate Tim Wilson said he had secured the commitment towards the construction of new women’s changerooms as part of a planned $4 million redevelopment of the north and south pavilions at the oval its players and local families,” Wilson said on 13 March “This project is important and will continue to encourage improved female participation in local sport.” It’s not the first time Wilson has made this pledge he said a re-elected Coalition government would deliver $1.3 million for new women’s changerooms “This funding will ensure that women and girls in our community have access to safe and fit-for-purpose facilities at both the North and South pavilions of Trevor Barker Oval the home of the Sandringham Zebras and Southern Saints,” Wilson said in 2022 Independent MP Zoe Daniel said she has been hard at work in the background advocating for the upgrade “This is a terrific result for the Sandringham Football Club and women’s sport,” she said “I’ve been fighting for this upgrade since before the last election I’m pleased the major parties have come to the table.” Daniel said one of the reasons girls drop out of sport is because the change rooms are outdated and inappropriate “More sporting grounds in Goldstein need to be upgraded but this is a great first step,” she said “It’s actually an amazing reflection of the success of an independent approach to politics that both major parties are now funding it So it doesn’t matter who wins the election it’s no surprise there’s a bit of political football over funding underway in Goldstein Stephen Newnham, a former Labor campaign director during one state (2006), one federal (2007) and three state byelections, talked to my colleagues Rachael Dexter and Roy Ward earlier this month for a story on sports funding in election campaigns He said that funding local sport clubs in marginal seats like Goldstein was “often about risk mitigation” and “neutralising” any potential attacks from your opponent While candidates love the photo opportunities the real political bang for buck comes from “making sure the other side can’t kick the crap out of you for not funding it” there’s no long that problem at the Sandringham Football Club you’ve probably seen this number everywhere — on posters billboards and pamphlets stuffed into your letterbox: 77 per cent The Liberal Party is campaigning hard against teal independent MP Monique Ryan with its “Teals Revealed” campaign using data sourced from the Parliamentary Library to highlight her voting record in parliament Campaign material turning up in Kooyong letterboxes That Ryan has “voted with the Greens 77 per cent of the time” — a figure designed to stoke fears of a Labor-Greens-teals minority government Ryan – who is being challenged by Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer in the seat – has hit back she issued a five-page pamphlet of her own accusing the Liberals of spreading “egregious falsehoods” She points out she voted in favour of just 21 out of 37 Greens motions — that’s 56 per cent — citing figures also drawn from the Parliamentary Library Because they’re talking about two very different things Only MPs can request Parliamentary Library analysis — not journalists — but both the Hamer and Ryan camps have shared the data they got from the library with me We’ve put together a few tables and graphs to show you the difference The 77 per cent figure comes from a dataset that measures how often Ryan’s votes in the past three years aligned with the major parties on all matters in parliament — not just on legislation But this includes votes on everything — including procedural matters These can be motions to extend debate time There’s a strong argument this is a blunt tool for understanding ideological alignment crossbenchers often support each other procedurally out of solidarity — even when they disagree on substance This could look like Ryan backing Bob Katter’s right to propose an amendment When you narrow it down to substantive legislative votes According to the figures the Liberals are working off: Ryan’s team argues a more accurate reflection of her record comes from looking at how she voted on motions according to who sponsored (or moved) them This dataset also includes procedural motions so it carries similar limitations when interpreting ideology But the Liberal argument is that procedural motions can be political too — suspending standing orders or ruling that a member be no longer heard are strategic moves used to achieve political outcomes the key point is this: both sides are using the same pool of votes and slicing them to suit their narrative It’s a classic case of selective data storytelling — and a timely reminder of how statistics can be used to shape political messaging At little earlier today, I brought you a report on Peter Khalil’s appearance in Coburg, where he and federal Housing Minister Clare O’Neil had a crack at the Greens over housing In particular, they accused the Greens of stalling Labor’s housing plans in the Senate for months which meant an affordable development at 541 Sydney Road had not proceeded before the election Wills MP Peter Khalil toured the empty site at 541 Sydney Road with Labor colleagues including federal Housing Minister Claire O’Neil on Thursday morning.Credit: Justin McManus The land is owned by Development Victoria and has been sitting empty for over a decade “If the Greens political party had not blocked the [Housing Australia Future Fund] for over a year we could be having this press conference maybe on the seventh or eighth floor,” Khalil Labor says that the development is under threat if it doesn’t win re-election claiming that contracts are ready to be signed for the project which will deliver 59 affordable homes if it goes ahead O’Neil has written to the federal opposition asking them to allow the government to keep approving HAFF projects during caretaker mode The $10 billion HAFF fund is a key part of the government’s efforts to address the nation’s housing crisis by supporting social and affordable housing I asked Wills Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam for a response to this and she told me that her party, after negotiations, went on to support the Housing Australia Future Fund in late 2023, with the first projects then selected for funding in September 2024 maintains her party’s negotiations with Labor over housing will deliver more affordable housing However she pointed out the Victorian state government was still looking for a developer to build affordable housing on the Coburg site in August last year “Labor is the reason there are no homes built here,” she said but thanks to Greens pressure in parliament more social and affordable homes will be built and upgraded across the country with the $3.5 billion investment we secured from the government.” Ratnam also nominated her party’s plans to cap rents and ban political donations from property developers as policies that would help housing affordability the Greens will keep Dutton out and get Labor to act on the housing cost of living and climate crises,” she said Thanks for joining The Age \\u201Chot seat\\u201D blog this week ballot draws were held around the country today to determine the order of candidates on ballot forms While some candidates showed up to soak up the \\u2013 with blindfolds and bingo balls \\u2013 others continued to keep a low profile Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer started the week having to explain The 31-year-old popped up on social media later in the week We also looked into the Liberal Party\\u2019s much-quoted claims about independent MP \\u2013 and concluded both sides are right (and wrong) took Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for a spin in his van to spruik the while the seat\\u2019s independent MP Zoe Daniel took to ABC morning airwaves and chalked up wins such as the major parties\\u2019 funding commitment for upgraded for the Sandringham Football Club who declares her donations on her website in real time also revealed a war chest of to help retain the seat dominated the duelling between the two key candidates: Labor MP Peter Khalil and the Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam Both candidates drew support from appearances in the electorate with federal colleagues: Labor\\u2019s Housing Minister Claire O\\u2019Neil and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young the campaign of Liberal candidate Zahid Safi was overshadowed by revelations of his campaign manager Andrew McNabb\\u2019s offensive social media posts The \\u201Chot seats\\u201D blog returns on Monday with more breaking news from our senior reporters on the ground in these crucial seats Taylah Carroll and Isobel D\\u2019Cruz Barnes and it\\u2019s for making sure that artists can tour around the country,\\u201D she said A federal parliamentary inquiry into the \\u201Cchallenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry\\u201D recently proposed a tax offset for live performances among its 20 recommendations for the sector composers and music publishers) that claimed: \\u201CA combined venue offset (of 5 per cent of expenses \\u2026) would boost the incomes of musicians and artists by $205 million per year with an additional 203,200 gigs.\\u201D \\u201CWe have attracted artists to come and make this their home But also because we\\u2019ve had the venues to support live performers for a number of years,\\u201D she said which is why this proposal is going to be so welcomed by so many venues across the electorate.\\u201D \\u201CIt\\u2019s never been easy to be an artist it feels harder than ever,\\u201D she said benefit from the cultural and human enrichment that music provides.\\u201D Opposition Leader Peter Dutton popped up on the campaign trail with Goldstein candidate Tim Wilson yesterday for a photo opportunity featuring Wilson\\u2019s prized campaign van Polly Polly is a Toyota HiAce in royal Liberal blue featuring a larger than life picture of Wilson on each side with the slogan \\u201Cour community first\\u201D Wilson said there was a whole naming process among his volunteers with other name suggestions including Vida (the electorate is named after ) before settling on \\u201CPolly Tician the Victory Van\\u201D Dutton and Wilson used Polly to spruik to slash the price of petrol by 24.4\\u00A2 per litre for one year and to dump Labor\\u2019s penalties on gas-guzzling vehicles Wilson said: \\u201CWe picked Peter Dutton up and took him to a nearby petrol station to get a tank of petrol and say g\\u2019day to Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin which would be 25 cents less tax per litre under a Liberal-led government.\\u201D We brought you of a social media account by Andrew McNabb McNabb called women: \\u201CSTUPID B\\u201D \\u201CThese comments do not reflect the party\\u2019s values or the standards we expect.\\u201D Multiple Liberal members said Safi and McNabb had told members throughout the week McNabb would continue working on the campaign \\u201Cbehind the scenes\\u201D \\u201CWell done for running such a great campaign,\\u201D Charan wrote \\u201CWe will win Bruce and we can see people panicking and creating a fake stories [sic] Keep it up and we are all with you uncle Andrew McNabb.\\u201D became increasingly frustrated by McNabb\\u2019s ongoing association with the campaign saying he damaged the party\\u2019s brand and Safi\\u2019s chances at victory We went to the Liberal Party with more questions about McNabb\\u2019s involvement with the party and today we received a new statement \\u201CMr McNabb resigned his membership of the Party yesterday afternoon as is appropriate,\\u201D a spokesperson said Some party members say this still doesn\\u2019t go far enough claiming McNabb can simply reapply for membership after the election and the formal expulsion process is the only way to ensure he doesn\\u2019t return \\u201CYou don\\u2019t treat women like that including our other \\u201Chot seats\\u201D Labor\\u2019s Peter Khalil secured the second spot on the ballot The Socialist Alliance\\u2019s Sue Bolton was first Sitting MP Labor\\u2019s Julian Hill will be third on the ballot while the Liberals\\u2019 Zahid Safi secured the fifth spot There\\u2019s something very \\u2026 Australian about how we decide the order of candidates on the ballot paper there\\u2019s to drawing a higher position on the ballot Some voters simply number candidates according to the order in which they appear on the ballot \\u2013 a donkey vote \\u2013 so being at the top helps The Kooyong candidates who showed up for today\\u2019s ballot draw were clearly enjoying themselves While she wasn\\u2019t in the largely empty Kew showroom where the draw was held someone from her campaign evidently was \\u2013 and let out a triumphant \\u201CYES!!\\u201D when her ball came out Labor\\u2019s Crosby laughed off his wooden spoon spot \\u201CI\\u2019ll get the reverse donkey vote,\\u201D he said Ryan may have been disappointed with sixth but didn\\u2019t show it when I spoke with her afterwards \\u201CThe numbers fall as the numbers fall,\\u201D she said \\u201CThe people in Kooyong are really smart but we didn\\u2019t find that that was the case.\\u201D Ryan said it was \\u201Cquite a shame\\u201D \\u201CBecause it\\u2019s quite \\u2013 as you saw with those guys \\u2013 a significant moment being here really doesn\\u2019t influence things at all but it\\u2019s part of the campaign experience and [for me] very memorable on both occasions.\\u201D I\\u2019ve sought comment from Hamer on her draw and to ask why she didn\\u2019t attend carry rainbow graphics and messages about Hill\\u2019s personal life \\u201CJulian Hill MP \\u2013 more worried about his husband than his constituents,\\u201D one banner stated \\u201CNo one should be surprised that these Liberals and their nasty mates stoop to these sorts of smears as they\\u2019ve got nothing positive to say,\\u201D Hill said \\u201CI always have and always will stand up for everyone in the Bruce electorate \\u201CThe Liberal Party is not responsible for this banner and we condemn this type of behaviour,\\u201D the spokesperson said I thought it was disgraceful,\\u201D he said \\u201COfficers attended Hemmings Park bridge overpass \\u201CThere is absolutely no place for hate-based behaviour in our society and police will not tolerate such activity \\u201CInvestigations into this incident remain ongoing.\\u201D police have been advised of further incidents where banners have been displayed in various places including Casey and Cardinia local government areas.\\u201D A spokesperson for the AEC said: \\u201CWe\\u2019re having a look into this with regard to authorisation requirements.\\u201D \\u201CWe unreservedly condemn those banners and we have absolutely nothing to do with them,\\u201D Muslim Votes Matters spokesperson Ghaith Krayem said \\u201CWe have no issue with any of the candidates\\u2019 personal lives.\\u201D Long-promised changeroom upgrades look like they are going to finally get the green light after years of political football There\\u2019s no doubt this upgrade is desperately needed \\u2013 there\\u2019s only one open space for players to get changed in and one for umpires with Labor\\u2019s newly announced candidate for Goldstein calling it a \\u201Cgame changer\\u201D for local clubs that use the Trevor Barker Oval \\u201CWe want to encourage more women and girls to get into sport,\\u201D she said I\\u2019m so pleased that a re-elected Albanese Labor government will invest in this project and support our local sporting community.\\u201D That\\u2019s the same changeroom upgrade that the Liberals last month announced they would also contribute $1.8 million to if elected Liberal candidate Tim Wilson said he had secured the commitment towards the construction of new women\\u2019s changerooms as part of a planned $4 million redevelopment of the north and south pavilions at the oval \\u201CI\\u2019ve been listening to the Sandy Zebras its players and local families,\\u201D Wilson said on 13 March \\u201CThis project is important and will continue to encourage improved female participation in local sport.\\u201D It\\u2019s not the first time Wilson has made this pledge he said a re-elected Coalition government would deliver $1.3 million for new women\\u2019s changerooms \\u201CThis funding will ensure that women and girls in our community have access to safe and fit-for-purpose facilities at both the North and South pavilions of Trevor Barker Oval the home of the Sandringham Zebras and Southern Saints,\\u201D Wilson said in 2022 \\u201CThis is a terrific result for the Sandringham Football Club and women\\u2019s sport,\\u201D she said \\u201CI\\u2019ve been fighting for this upgrade since before the last election I\\u2019m pleased the major parties have come to the table.\\u201D \\u201CMore sporting grounds in Goldstein need to be upgraded but this is a great first step,\\u201D she said \\u201CIt\\u2019s actually an amazing reflection of the success of an independent approach to politics that both major parties are now funding it So it doesn\\u2019t matter who wins the election it\\u2019s no surprise there\\u2019s a bit of political football over funding underway in Goldstein a former Labor campaign director during one state (2006) one federal (2007) and three state byelections talked to my colleagues Rachael Dexter and Roy Ward earlier this month for a story on He said that funding local sport clubs in marginal seats like Goldstein was \\u201Coften about risk mitigation\\u201D and \\u201Cneutralising\\u201D any potential attacks from your opponent the real political bang for buck comes from \\u201Cmaking sure the other side can\\u2019t kick the crap out of you for not funding it\\u201D there\\u2019s no long that problem at the Sandringham Football Club you\\u2019ve probably seen this number everywhere \\u2014 on posters The Liberal Party is campaigning hard against teal independent MP Monique Ryan with its \\u201CTeals Revealed\\u201D campaign That Ryan has \\u201Cvoted with the Greens 77 per cent of the time\\u201D \\u2014 a figure designed to stoke fears of a Labor-Greens-teals minority government \\u201CDon\\u2019t risk it,\\u201D the pamphlets warn Ryan \\u2013 who is being challenged by Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer in the seat \\u2013 has hit back accusing the Liberals of spreading \\u201Cegregious falsehoods\\u201D She points out she voted in favour of just 21 out of 37 Greens motions \\u2014 that\\u2019s 56 per cent \\u2014 citing figures also drawn from the Parliamentary Library Because they\\u2019re talking about two very different things Only MPs can request Parliamentary Library analysis \\u2014 not journalists \\u2014 but both the Hamer and Ryan camps have shared the data they got from the library with me We\\u2019ve put together a few tables and graphs to show you the difference The 77 per cent figure comes from a dataset that measures how often Ryan\\u2019s votes in the past three years aligned with the major parties on all matters in parliament \\u2014 not just on legislation But this includes votes on everything \\u2014 including procedural matters There\\u2019s a strong argument this is a blunt tool for understanding ideological alignment crossbenchers often support each other procedurally out of solidarity \\u2014 even when they disagree on substance This could look like Ryan backing Bob Katter\\u2019s right to propose an amendment Ryan\\u2019s team argues a more accurate reflection of her record comes from looking at how she voted on motions according to who sponsored (or moved) them too \\u2014 suspending standing orders or ruling that a member be no longer heard are It\\u2019s a classic case of selective data storytelling \\u2014 and a timely reminder of how statistics can be used to shape political messaging I brought you a report on Peter Khalil\\u2019s appearance in Coburg where he and federal Housing Minister Clare O\\u2019Neil \\u201CIf the Greens political party had not blocked the [Housing Australia Future Fund] for over a year we could be having this press conference maybe on the seventh or eighth floor,\\u201D Khalil Labor says that the development is under threat if it doesn\\u2019t win re-election O\\u2019Neil has written to the federal opposition asking them to allow the government to keep approving HAFF projects during caretaker mode The $10 billion HAFF fund is a key part of the government\\u2019s efforts to address the nation\\u2019s housing crisis I asked Wills Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam for a response to this and she told me that her party went on to support the Housing Australia Future Fund in late 2023 However she pointed out the Victorian state government was \\u201CLabor is the reason there are no homes built here,\\u201D she said \\u201CNegotiating isn\\u2019t always pretty more social and affordable homes will be built and upgraded across the country with the $3.5 billion investment we secured from the government.\\u201D Ratnam also nominated her party\\u2019s plans to cap rents and ban political donations from property developers as policies that would help housing affordability \\u201CWith a minority parliament expected cost of living and climate crises,\\u201D she said the adventurer is off to gain more precious insights into tribal life – from eating weevil larva to taking ayahuasca 20 years since Bruce Parry first brought Tribe to the BBC The diffident but determined former Royal Marine visited Indigenous people in the world’s most remote places and earned a level of trust that previous documentary-makers had struggled to achieve more respectful and more physically courageous than other white interlopers had been He gained valuable insights into tribal life and the threats to it posed by modernity Tribe itself was simply cracking entertainment Television’s sausage machine has a way of turning the most exotic ingredients into familiar comfort food and although it took us to the farthest corners of the planet Parry’s return follows the winning formula as he travels to meet the 600-strong Waimaha people the camera snagging on a branch as the canoe weaves through foliage Then it is the tentative first meeting with the village elder a friendly man named Pedro who is nevertheless upfront about why Parry is getting funny looks: “We don’t think much of the white man When we see you it brings back memories.” The Waimaha have been here for 2,000 years in the belly of an anaconda; a century ago they were massacred by invading rubber tappers and as recently as the 1970s their children were forcibly taken and re-educated by Catholic missionaries Parry is ensconced with a family and winning favour by showcasing his wood-chopping skills on a trip out to find protein “It’s like a custard that … isn’t that sweet.” Later on squeezes it into a ball and dispenses a drop of green juice into each of Parry’s eyes Pedro says this is a sign there is something wrong with his eyes Parry’s willingness to help with any domestic task has endeared him to the womenfolk and he is making progress with the training he has to undergo before he will be allowed to join the villagers at a ceremony for the forest spirits fuelled by the hallucinogenic plant extract yage His sinuses are cleared by snorting ground chilli; his stomach is purged by drinking emetic leaf-water a process that ends with him neck-deep in a river in the middle of the night and there is a very funny moment where the more experienced Pedro shows off his refined spewing technique: while Parry urges and spits Pedro leans forward and lets it all flow smoothly out of him in one go Before the big night in the deeply impressive village hall – Parry helps with the efficient collective effort to re-roof it trying his best to match the locals’ skill in weaving leaves and reeds around wood – there are serious issues to confront Outsiders are no longer killing or kidnapping the Waimaha but they are tempting young villagers with a different way of life: children leave the rainforest and travel to school where they are taught the Colombian national curriculum rather than the ways of the tribe Tribe asks difficult questions about what western concepts such as progress and enlightenment really mean Are the Waimaha who choose to leave their old life behind really better off for having greater access to tarmac An initiative to give Indigenous people educational autonomy within a wider system of governance looks like a decent compromise pounding the ground to send everyone into a trance-like state The effect of this when combined with large quantities of yage beyond Parry looking a bit peaky and leaning his forehead on a stick for support he speaks lucidly about the new understanding the experience has given him of the forest way of life and how precious is the place in which these people live Tribe With Bruce Parry aired on BBC Two and is on iPlayer now All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. 01 Follow That Dream02 Don’t Back Down On Our Love03 Little Girl Like You04 Johnny Bye Bye05 Sugarland06 Seven Tears07 Fugitive’s Dream08 Black Mountain Ballad09 Jim Deer10 County Fair11 My Hometown12 One Love13 Don’t Back Down14 Richfield Whistle15 The Klansman16 Unsatisfied Heart17 Shut Out The Light18 Fugitive’s Dream (Ballad) 01 Blind Spot02 Maybe I Don’t Know You03 Something in the Well04 Waiting on the End of the World05 The Little Things06 We Fell Down07 One Beautiful Morning08 Between Heaven and Earth09 Secret Garden10 The Farewell Party 01 The Desert (Instrumental)02 Where You Goin’, Where You From03 Faithless04 All God’s Children05 A Prayer by the River (Instrumental)06 God Sent You07 Goin’ to California08 The Western Sea (Instrumental)09 My Master’s Hand10 Let Me Ride11 My Master’s Hand (Theme) 01 Repo Man02 Tiger Rose03 Poor Side of Town04 Delivery Man05 Under a Big Sky06 Detail Man07 Silver Mountain08 Janey Don’t You Lose Heart09 You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone10 Stand on It11 Blue Highway12 Somewhere North of Nashville 01 Inyo02 Indian Town03 Adelita04 The Aztec Dance05 The Lost Charro06 Our Lady of Monroe07 El Jardinero (Upon the Death of Ramona)08 One False Move09 Ciudad Juarez10 When I Build My Beautiful House 01 Sunday Love02 Late in the Evening03 Two of Us04 Lonely Town05 September Kisses06 Twilight Hours07 I’ll Stand by You08 High Sierra09 Sunliner10 Another You11 Dinner at Eight12 Follow the Sun 01 I’m Not Sleeping02 Idiot’s Delight03 Another Thin Line04 The Great Depression05 Blind Man06 Rain in the River07 If I Could Only Be Your Lover08 Cutting Knife09 You Lifted Me Up10 Perfect World Tracks II: The Lost Albums will feature a collection of 83 songs that New Jersey musician says he has played ‘to myself and close friends for years’ Bruce Springsteen is to reveal seven “lost” albums in June – a collection of 83 songs 74 of which have never officially been released Tracks II: The Lost Albums compiles “full records some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released” The new vault project came together during the Covid-19 pandemic “I’ve played this music to myself and often close friends for years now,” he said “I’m glad you’ll get a chance to finally hear them Fans will be able to hear the 75-year-old rock star developing from the spartan tenor of Nebraska towards the sound of Born in the USA on a record titled LA Garage Sessions 83 expands on the sound of the song Springsteen made for Jonathan Demme’s 1993 film Philadelphia dabbling in drum loops and synthesisers and the influence of hip-hop his next album was instead The Ghost of Tom Joad in 1995 the soundtrack for a film that was never made pedal steel-inflected country on Somewhere North of Nashville the noirish Twilight Hours and what a press release describes as the “richly woven border tales” of Inyo The evolution of home recording technology “allowed me to go into a wide variety of different musical directions” Bruce Springsteen: Tracks II: The Lost Albums trailer – videoIn a trailer for the release, he decried the popular opinion that he had a “lost period” in the 90s. “Really I was working the whole time,” he said. Rain in the River, from the album Perfect World, is out now. The physical release includes a 100-page book featuring rare archival photos and liner notes for each record. A 20-song selection from across the seven albums will also be released. The original Tracks collection was released in 1998, drawing on B-sides, outtakes and demos. Springsteen returns to the UK for the third summer in a row this year, performing in Manchester and Liverpool. His most recent original album was Only the Strong Survive, released in 2022. On Record Store Day (12 April), Springsteen and the Killers will release the Encore at the Garden EP, documenting the New Jersey musician’s surprise appearance with the Vegas indie band at Madison Square Garden in 2022. Tracks II: The Lost Albums will be released on 27 June. Link copiedShareShare resultsBy chief election analyst Antony Green posted Fri at 2:00pmFriday 2 May 2025 at 2:00pmFri 2 May 2025 at 2:00pm Updated 1h ago1 hours agoMon 5 May 2025 at 12:05pm updated 5h ago5 hours agoMon 5 May 2025 at 8:05am | Bruce covers 142 square kilometres and runs along the Monash Freeway from Mulgrave to Berwick. It includes the suburbs of Dandenong, Doveton, Endeavour Hills, Eumemmerring, Hallam, Narre Warren and parts of Berwick. Loses part of Dandenong to Isaacs, gains Cranbourne North from Holt and part of Berwick from La Trobe. The Labor margin declines from 6.6% to an estimated 5.3%. See polling place result map below for detail of the boundary change. (Victories by a party of government are indicated by thick coloured underlining.) Bianca Colecchia is now a proud Australian citizen after migrating from Italy eight years ago. She has a double degree in Politics and International Relations and Sociology from the University of Melbourne. She previously worked in a four month internship in the office of Senator Malcolm Roberts. Colecchia currently works managing a gentlemen's entertainment club in the Melbournes CBD. Garad has called Dandenong home for 30 years where she has raised her four children She is an academic at Monash University and a Councillor for Greater Dandenong. She was the Greens candidate for this seat at the 2019 election. Zahid was born in Afghanistan before moving to Finland where he completed his education, including a Bachelor of Business Administration. From there he chose to settle in Australia and raise a family. If elected he will be the federal Liberal Party's first Muslim MP. Anderson runs his family's small electrical business from Narre Warren. Louth is a 52-year-old father and experienced software engineer with 25 years in the industry. CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gears up for another run following the Labor Party’s win at the federal election who won a staggering victory over Liberal Party rival Zahid Safi which was initially projected to be a marginal seat saw Julian Hill return the South East seat to a Labor stronghold with a 15 per cent margin in the two-party preferences (2PP) Hill tacked on 40,111 primary votes (46.38 per cent) compared to Safi’s 19,588 primary votes (22.71 per cent) Liberal candidate Zahid Safi would only win two polling booths: Harkaway and Narre Warren North Safi was mired by a series of controversies surrounding his NDIS businesses which the Age reported will be investigated by the sector’s new watchdog Hill led the 2PP race with 53,311 votes (65.28 per cent) compared to Safi’s 29,945 (34.72 per cent) Safi just held on to Narre Warren North’s handle with a 1.8 per cent swing over Hill who had 655 2PP votes (49.10 per cent) to Safi’s 679 (50.90 per cent) where Safi had 399 2PP votes (57.66 per cent) to Hill’s 293 (42.34 per cent) Hill averaged a 2PP swing of 12 per cent against Safi a Liberal-leaning suburb which had large sections taken by Bruce in a recent redistribution saw an average of 13 per cent swing in Hill’s favour in all six polling booths Hill’s biggest win was in Timbarra Community Centre where he notched 556 votes (62.61 per cent) compared to Safi’s 332 (37.39 per cent) the Akoonah Park booths had a swing of 6.61 per cent to Hill with 6267 votes (53.67) to Safi’s 5410 (46.33) the average swing to Hill was still strong at 10.57 per cent Berwick booths saw swings against long-time Liberal MP Jason Wood by beyond 10 per cent in the 2PP Wood was asked on election night about the state of Bruce “Everyone puts their hand up to run as candidates with the best intentions I congratulate Julian Hill and Zahid Safi for being there,” he said I don’t think we have got any candidates up at the moment.” VictoriaThe latest Suzuki Swift launched in mid-2024 offering a pocket-sized first step into hybrid motoring There are three models in the range of five-door hatches and here we’re testing the mid-spec Suzuki Swift Hybrid Plus it is one of the most affordable new cars on sale in Australia But while pricing is one of the Swift’s really strong positives There are three models in the 2025 Suzuki Swift Hybrid line-up and here we’re testing the one in the middle Below it is the $24,490 Hybrid base model and above it the $30,490 Hybrid GLX All three come with a 1.2-litre petrol-electric mild hybrid powertrain driving the front wheels but the entry model is the only one offered with a five-speed manual transmission as well as a continuously variable automatic Its pricing places the Swift amongst Australia’s cheapest new cars on offer today There’s no surprise at that pricing the equipment level of the Swift isn’t that special Amenities the Plus shares with the base model includes keyless entry and start wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and satellite-navigation Standard safety gear includes autonomous emergency braking that’s been upgraded and is now fitted across all models traffic sign recognition and high beam assist for the headlights are also fitted Highlights included at Plus level include 16-inch alloy wheels a blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert Stuff the Plus misses out on compared to the GLX flagship includes wireless phone charging paddle shifters for the transmission and climate-control air-conditioning There are seven exterior colour choices for the Swift A handsome two-tone blue-black combo is $1145 The Swift comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty while service intervals are 12 months/15,000km Pricing for five visits to the workshop under Suzuki’s capped-price service scheme averages out at $391 per visit There simply aren’t that many cars around that can compete on dollars with it Around town we averaged 4.6L/100km and on the open road 5.6L/100km That compares with a 4.0L/100km claim for the auto light weight under one tonne and a transmission dedicated to finding the economy sweet spot all help here The only drawback on the economy story is the requirement for more expensive 95 RON petrol It’s great for nipping around in tight spaces like carparks and choked city streets its simple suspension system offers a surprisingly good ride that copes at least acceptably with all bar the sharpest of hits and the powertrain has enough energy onboard to partake in the low-speed cut and thrust of heavy traffic The lithium-ion battery supporting the engine is only 12V and watching it deplete and renew quite frantically via a graphic on the touchscreen is kinda addictive The Swift has well-tuned driver assist systems that don’t intrude too much and don’t big-bong too often If you do find them a bit obvious they can be switched off pretty quickly and easily The Swift only comes with drum rear brakes supporting the conventional discs up front This car is so light there’s no evidence that sticking with this old tech is an issue The ambience up front is also pleasant for a car of this price the layout of the dashboard and instruments sensible the steering wheel gets reach as well as rake adjustment and the trim presentation features a pleasing dual tone A one-star ANCAP safety rating is a pretty major blot on the 2025 Suzuki Swift Hybrid range the testing exposed issues with the Swift’s ability to hold up in a crash and it was also downgraded because of various limitations of its assist systems So that’s definitely a concern for many potential buyers especially when you consider you might be buying it as a first car for a son or daughter The lack of a spare tyre is another negative for the Swift I reckon all new cars sold in Australia should have some form of spare tyre The Swift’s small size – 3.86m long x 1.74m wide x 1.52m tall – also means it’s not a logical choice as primary family transport The rear seat is very squeezy and there’s not much in the way of creature comforts in the back seat either It does expand in size if you split-fold the rear seat but you’re still going to struggle to fit a substantial load in here Lacking the paddle shifters that help set artificial gear steps in the GLX flagship’s CVT the powertrain can get a bit monotone and monotonous when cruising The engine’s triple-cylinder growl adds some character Maybe it’s getting angry because limited outputs mean it has to work so hard motoring on the open road The 2025 Suzuki Swift Hybrid Plus presents a great argument around the dollars It’s priced affordably and has really outstanding economy There’s also real evidence in the driving that Suzuki has applied some TLC to the tuning But that one-star ANCAP rating is a shocker and hard to ignore because it doesn’t just relate to shortfalls in safety equipment but fundamental crash-worthiness It’s a real pity because in so many ways the Swift appeals as a logical car for urban-based single and couples 2025 Suzuki Swift Hybrid Plus at a glance:Price: $28,490 (drive away)Available: NowEngine: 1.2-litre triple-cylinder petrol mild hybridOutput: 61kW/107NmTransmission: Continuously variable automaticFuel: 4.0L/100km (ADR Combined)CO2: 90g/km (ADR Combined)Safety rating: One star (ANCAP 2024) the two teal battlegrounds of Kooyong and Goldstein are officially back to “too close to call” and I’ve been on the phone this afternoon with two election analysts – Dr Kevin Bonham and Ben Raue of The Tally Room independent Zoe Daniel is in serious strife estimates Daniel is on track to fall behind by around 900 votes once all ballots are counted Daniel is currently picking up just 35 per cent of postals – well below what she’d need to stay competitive With a sizeable chunk of postal votes yet to be processed the trajectory has her slipping further behind There’s an interesting theory doing the rounds in political circles today that could help explain the trend Kooyong independent MP Zoe Daniel and Liberal challenger – and former MP – Tim WilsonCredit: Marija Ercegovac Goldstein — like Kooyong — has one of the largest Jewish communities in Victoria Because religious Jewish voters don’t vote on Saturdays it may be disproportionately showing up in the postals I ran that theory past a well-connected source within the Jewish community I know many who traditionally receive postals,” they said “I think given how tight the margins are in both seats it’s hard to ever measure — but so many people were single-issue this time and the Coalition would have received a large share of that vote for sure.” Dr Bonham concurs that Daniel is in trouble and told me the latest figures are “not looking good.” fellow teal Monique Ryan is in a stronger – though not yet secure – position Ryan is underperforming on postal votes – but not nearly as badly About 2000 postal were counted on Monday and she currently leads by around 1000 votes Raue expects Ryan to gain votes in declaration pre-polls and absentee votes and his modelling suggests she could finish roughly 800 votes ahead when all is said and done But Goldstein – according to both Bonham and Raue – is starting to slip into Tim Wilson’s column with thousands of votes left to count across both seats the contest in Calwell is shaping as one of Victoria’s most fascinating Tally Room election analyst Ben Raue said counting there may take another two weeks as Labor’s primary vote in the north-west fringe Melbourne seat falls currently has about 30 per cent of the primary vote representing a 14.2 per cent swing against the party Raue said the AEC might need to re-calculate the leading two candidates as support for independents soars the two-candidate preferred count between Labor and Liberal is not very interesting and it’s not what’s relevant,” Raue said “What’s relevant here is you’ve got two independents Raue said the AEC might need to split the two-party preferred count three ways I don’t think I’ve ever seen a race like this where the third and the fourth candidates look like they could win And I don’t know which of them it is,” he said Independent candidates Carly Moore (a former Labor local mayor) and Joseph Youhana currently have 12.1 per cent and 11.9 per cent of the votes The AEC has said it will have to do a total recount on Tuesday Raue said multiple calculations could be completed with preferences which could mean the final result in Calwell could take up to two weeks “Each of these is not just a simple question This is moving tens of thousands of ballot papers around the table and it’s a big exercise to do work,” he said “Part of the complexity is there are heaps of candidates running.” Two other Victorian seats to watch are Flinders and Bendigo and Raue said we can expect more information on those later today If you’re obsessively refreshing the tally room feed today – you’re not alone But the bad news is the count is slowing down I just got off the phone with Evan Ekin-Smyth a spokesman for the Australian Electoral Commission who gave a clearer picture of what’s happening behind the scenes There were 100,000 AEC staffers working at polling places and on the initial count on Saturday But that number drops significantly after election day as it’s less of a wave of votes and more of a trickle Voters who applied for a postal vote have 13 days after election day to get their ballot to the AEC this year “They absolutely had to have completed their vote by the close of polls on election day “But they didn’t have to put it in the mailbox by then So they could have completed it at 5.59pm on election day and they could be coming out this morning to find a post box It’s quite generous – we have to receive it by 13 days after election day.” Ekin-Smyth said the vast majority of postal votes would arrive well before the deadline and most seats should be called before then There’s also a logistical lag: overseas ballots from 111 countries votes cast interstate at more than 600 centres verifying and allocating those ballots correctly they’re for 150 different divisions,” Ekin-Smyth said “We’ve got to stick them in all the different pigeonholes for the right division and then send them off “And even if we did have 100,000 people working again they’d just be sitting around twiddling their thumbs waiting for the mail.” So what’s happening in our hot seats today The nearly 30,000 postal votes have served a dose of political uncertainty Speaking on ABC Radio Melbourne this morning Ryan sounded far less confident than she had 36 hours earlier Monique Ryan speaking on Sunday morning after election night to her volunteers at campaign headquarters.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui “Not at all,” she replied when host Raf Epstein asked if she was still sure of victory referring to the ABC’s respected election analyst who called the seat for Ryan on the night The ABC and our mastheads have since downgraded their calls “But postal votes have been very much pro the conservative side her Liberal opponent Amelia Hamer — who has remained silent publicly since election night — appears to believe momentum is now with her I’ve just seen an email sent by Hamer to party volunteers late on Sunday night The subject line: “We now need just 943 votes to win the seat of Kooyong.” “Last night was not the result we had hoped for the Coalition,” the email reads “We had an average 3% swing against us across the country “It is now clear there will be a swing towards us in Kooyong There are only a small handful of seats nationwide where this is the case Currently the swing to us in Kooyong is +1.5% and we have 49% of the vote That is a direct result of your efforts over the past year.” “There are still 22,000 votes to be counted “Most of the uncounted votes are postal votes They are coming in very strongly in our favour If these postal votes continue on their current TPP trajectory of 62–38 That is not blind hope — that’s the raw numbers.” Amelia Hamer casting her vote on Saturday at Balwyn Primary School.Credit: Rachael Dexter She thanked volunteers for “all your blood sweat and tears” and said the campaign had done “everything we possibly could have in the face of extremely challenging conditions.” Ryan described the Liberal campaign against her as “pretty vicious” “I have to say it’s great to see community independents succeeding interstate and I was so happy to see colleagues doing really well there,” she said “But I think that both Zoe [Daniel] and I have faced really pretty vicious battles in our electorates in Melbourne “The Liberals teamed up with the coal lobby and fossil fuel lobbies and they really came for us — really hard,” said Ryan Ryan questioned whether the Liberal Party’s focus on Goldstein and Kooyong had been the right strategic move for the conservative party “One of the things that will be interesting in the wash-up is for the Liberal Party to assess whether that’s where they should have put all their time and effort,” she said “People from Deakin and Menzies and Chisholm might think that effort could have been better placed elsewhere.” Ryan said that neither she nor Daniel was feeling “entirely comfortable” and she was bracing for a long week ahead Kooyong MP Monique Ryan was all smiles this morning after likely securing a second term in one of the most closely watched races in the country with Ryan ahead of Liberal Amelia Hamer after preferences 51 per cent to 49 per cent “We had a good night,” she said with a grin reflecting on the teal election party that took over the Auburn Hotel in Hawthorn But her attention quickly turned to what lies ahead With the Coalition “eviscerated,” Ryan believes the expanded crossbench will function as a de facto opposition in Parliament “I think it’s more important than ever that the crossbench act to hold the government to account on things that our communities want us to see them act on,” she said “We want a government that will act effectively and quickly on climate action and on their net zero transition.. The Albanese government will have no excuse not to take on the big issues and the crossbench will hold them to account on that.” The Age barrelled through a host of topics in light of the historic election outcome: she still hadn’t heard from her Liberal opponent who made a delayed appearance at her own party late last night and has not publicly conceded We’ve reached out to Hamer today but not heard back and her advisor says she won’t speak while counting continues “There are still a lot of votes to be counted including a lot of postal votes that have not yet been counted and the result has not yet been confirmed,” Ryan said “So I think it’s entirely reasonable that I haven’t heard from her yet.” Ryan described the campaign as “brutal,” singling out the volume of negative advertising directed at her But she noted a shift in tone during the final stretch between her team and the Liberal party volunteers on the ground “We actually started to work more effectively and collegially with the Liberal Party volunteers at pre-poll None of us felt comfortable with the tone — people didn’t like it It didn’t sit well with us or with our community.” She sees this as evidence that Kooyong voters are rejecting the “politics of division.” Even in the newer parts of the electorate — including former Higgins territory like Toorak and Armadale — Ryan says her message resonated “It’s clear we were able to do pretty well They want an economic strategy that’s inclusive and addresses intergenerational inequality.” Ryan says her approach in the next term will again be pragmatic and collaborative “I actually had a great deal of fun in the 47th Parliament working with people across the House — Bob Katter even Barnaby [Joyce] on Assange,” she said on the issues that matter to my community.” Asked about Peter Dutton’s shock loss in Dickson Ryan said she felt sorry for “everyone who lost their seat” She said Dutton’s loss reminded her of her former opponent Josh Frydenberg who lost the seat of Kooyong in 2022 when he was serving treasurer: “It’s probably really hard — we saw this in Kooyong last time — to have a really senior role in a political party and be a good local member People are saying they want their representatives to be local and community-based.” She said the Liberal campaign overall “has been profoundly rejected by the country” “They didn’t come to the election with meaningful policies on climate While the cost of living dominated the national narrative Ryan says climate change (which was her biggest policy platform in 2022) remains front of mind in Kooyong — and the two issues are inextricably linked groceries — all affected by climate change I do think climate action is still front of mind even if people aren’t using those exact words.” Ryan says she’ll focus on rebuilding cohesion in the community.“There are social issues in this community But she also called out senior Liberal figures for targeting Chinese Australians during the campaign – after a video emerged showing two people in Ryan campaign T-shirts handing out the teal MP’s how-to-vote cards and saying they were directed to vote for Ryan by an organisation which has been accused of working with an agency which advances the interests of the Chinese Community Party “Every time Chinese Australians got involved in politics we saw people like Jane Hume and James Paterson punch down on them And finally, for those wondering if Ryan’s crowd and George’s 21st birthday upstairs at the Auburn Hotel ended up overlapping last night half the people at the party probably knew George and his parents,” Ryan giggled “But I apologise if there was any disruption [to George’s party].” Liberal candidate Tim Wilson is “incredibly optimistic” of winning Goldstein as postal votes heavily favouring the former MP have rolled in Wilson believes he can snatch the seat back from teal independent Zoe Daniel who thought she had retained Goldstein on election night and I think it’s really important to understand this,” Wilson said in a video posted to social media late on Sunday afternoon and Goldstein went that way,” he said pointing Wilson said in Victoria there was a statewide swing against the Liberals of about 2 per cent but in Goldstein there was a primary vote swing to the Liberals of 3.8 per cent or nearly 4 per cent we have bucked the trend by nearly 6 per cent and that has come down to all of the people who have been part of this campaign willingly and bought energy and enthusiasm.” Daniel made a victory speech on Saturday night when the vote count had her ahead but since then postal votes have closed the margin “In Goldstein the largest booth is postal votes,” Wilson said “There were 27,000 postal-vote applications at the time of Wilson recording his video it had dropped to 700 votes and at 7pm it was down to 95 votes He said postal votes in Goldstein usually track in the Liberal Party’s favour by a ratio of about two-to-one “That’s the reason we remain incredibly optimistic but we are not seeking to comment on the result until we see the final results,” Wilson said Wilson declined a request for an interview but posed for photographs at Brighton Baths with his husband I’m tired and I’m elated it’s over,” he said Wilson also acknowledged the catastrophic result for the Liberal Party across Australia Liberal candidate for Goldstein Tim Wilson and his husband Ryan Bolger.Credit: PENNY STEPHENS Wilson said he wanted to honour former opposition leader Peter Dutton for his service but said: “It’s one of those times where the Liberal Party is going to have a look at itself.” now is a time to turn to each other to support each other,” he said Wilson said the Liberal Party was founded as the “front line” against political intersectional interests and vested interests “The results clearly show that is not over that there is still a lot of room for optimism and that we still have a lot of justification for hope but we are just going to have to be patient,” he said Daniel also declined an interview request today and issued a brief statement “The result in Goldstein is obviously close and it will be some days before the result is confirmed,” she said “I again thank the voters of Goldstein for their support as well as the many volunteers who worked tirelessly on my campaign.” There was a hungover delirium inside Monique Ryan’s campaign office in Glenferrie Road where more than 100 teal-clad volunteers – bleary-eyed from dancing into the wee hours at the Auburn Hotel – gathered for a morning-after regroup This was the army behind Ryan’s win in Kooyong: more than 55,000 doors knocked 2300 corflutes placed on fences and 1000 volunteers out on election day alone Monique Ryan and supporters at her campaign headquarters on Sunday.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui Campaign manager Conal Feehely called out one volunteer who spent all of last night scrutinising results at the central counting booth there were still 10,000 postal votes to count and Feehely said there were “mathematical possibilities” Ryan could lose her hold Ryan herself added: “The prediction so far is that we’ll be OK .. The woman of the hour took the mic to address the room the result and what the community’s vote signalled about the future of Australian politics In a speech that ranged from gratitude to grim honesty Ryan said the nastiness of ground-game politics seen in Kooyong had played out nationwide – but had been rejected by voters Here is an edited excerpt from her remarks: I think we’ve woken up this morning to a country that is fundamentally different personally I feel like the country has rejected the politics of division and has said it wants us to do things differently I don’t know exactly how things are going to go We have a government with an increased majority We have an opposition that’s been eviscerated and we don’t yet know what the final shape of the parliament will be But what we do know – what you’ve all helped make clear – is that we don’t want politics as it used to be There’s been a real tendency to flood the zone in parts of Australia – and we’ve seen that in Kooyong Those of us who’ve been doorknocking or on pre-poll and polling booths in the last few weeks have come up against torrents of negativity Every household in this electorate has been letterboxed repeatedly with negative advertisements What we want is for our community to rebuild And I think most of us want politics to be more respectful and more conciliatory – to reach bipartisanship on the things that really matter and they’ve got a bigger majority – what are you going to do?’ We’re going to hold them to account They want certainty about their economic future They want to know the government cares about them – and will deliver adequate health care And that’s what the crossbench will fight for in this term of parliament.” from action group Grandmothers for Refugees Ryan hugs Davina Lipmann from action group Grandmothers for Refugees.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui Lipmann said of Ryan: “She’s worked so hard and she’s taken on so many issues that were new for her – she didn’t know them before Lipmann hopes Ryan can deliver the influence she spoke about on the Albanese government for the issue she cares about most “The refugees who came by boat who are still living very constrained lives,” she said “Hopefully this new government will be able to reverse the barbarity and cruelty that’s happened before.” Independent teal MP Zoe Daniel says a result could be days away in Goldstein despite her having claimed victory at her election party last night with just over 74 per cent of ballots counted Daniel was leading with 51 per cent of the two-party preferred vote ahead of Liberal candidate Tim Wilson on 49 per cent Liberal candidate for Goldstein Tim Wilson and husband Ryan Bolger She was not available for interview on Sunday but issued a brief statement at midday “The result in Goldstein is obviously close and it will be some days before the result is confirmed,” she said Wilson has also declined all interview requests today act and work for me,” he said in a text message Last night Wilson said he thought he might get up on postal votes which were trending two-to-one in his favour Last night Daniel thought she had won after waiting until almost 11pm to claim victory “We just wanted to be sort of solid in the result before we spoke,” she told me after her victory speech “My team are very good on data so they spend a lot of time just crunching the numbers.” Labor and the Greens were both still hopeful of picking up Wills as counting continued at an Australian Electoral Commission site in West Footscray on Sunday Neither Labor’s Peter Khalil nor the Greens’ Samantha Ratnam would offer a view on who was ahead although there was a sense from Labor that it was more likely to do better on postal votes now being counted Both Ratnam and Khalil were at Vicki Cleary Day at the Coburg football ground on Sunday The event is organised by Phil Cleary, former independent MP for Wills, whose sister Vicki was killed in 1987 by her ex-partner Greens candidate for Wills Samantha Ratnam at the Coburg football ground on Sunday morning.Credit: Clay Lucas “It’s dedicated to all of the women we have lost to men’s violence and the women running the gauntlet of men’s violence,” Cleary said on Sunday morning Families of women killed by men spoke at the event Labor MP for Wills Peter Khalil at the football ground.Credit: Clay Lucas “There are still plenty of votes to count,” Khalil told The Age while Ratnam said she was feeling hopeful as scrutineering continued but that it would take some time before a final result was known The Liberal vote in Wills dropped by about 4 per cent Socialist Alliance candidate and Merri-bek councillor Sue Bolton was pleased to post a 5.5 per cent swing in her favour “I haven’t looked at the booth-by-booth results yet but I think it’s two things: Gaza … and the capitalist dream – that if you work hard and study hard you will get the good job and the good house – is over,” she said on Sunday morning “People are looking for more radical alternatives than the major parties offer.” Bolton said she wasn’t sure who would win Wills “It would be a positive if the seat switches from Labor to the Greens,” she added all parties in Wills urged voters to preference Labor ahead of the Greens on their how-to-vote cards It’s the morning after the election and Goldstein still hangs in the balance The dance floor was heaving when I left Zoe Daniel’s victory party just before midnight The teal independent MP claimed victory in a jubilant speech at the Elwood Bowls Club “We did it!” she told the crowd of hundreds of teal T-shirt-clad supporters But Liberal candidate Tim Wilson is not so certain As counting gets under way for a second day Just over 74 per cent of the vote was counted by 10am when Daniel led with 51 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote Wilson thinks he may get up on postal votes which he said were trending two-to-one in his favour “Daniel is welcome to claim whatever she wants – it is the voters that will decide the result,” he said last night the two teal battlegrounds of Kooyong and Goldstein are officially back to \\u201Ctoo close to call\\u201D and I\\u2019ve been on the phone this afternoon with two election analysts \\u2013 Dr Kevin Bonham and Ben Raue of The Tally Room who\\u2019s running his own projection model Daniel is currently picking up just 35 per cent of postals \\u2013 well below what she\\u2019d need to stay competitive There\\u2019s an interesting theory doing the rounds in political circles today that could help explain the trend Goldstein \\u2014 like Kooyong \\u2014 has one of the largest Jewish communities in Victoria Because religious Jewish voters don\\u2019t vote on Saturdays who confirmed it\\u2019s \\u201Cvery possible.\\u201D \\u201CReligious Jews don\\u2019t vote on Saturdays I know many who traditionally receive postals,\\u201D they said \\u201CI think given how tight the margins are in both seats it\\u2019s hard to ever measure \\u2014 but so many people were single-issue this time and the Coalition would have received a large share of that vote for sure.\\u201D and told me the latest figures are \\u201Cnot looking good.\\u201D fellow teal Monique Ryan is in a stronger \\u2013 though not yet secure \\u2013 position Ryan is underperforming on postal votes \\u2013 but not nearly as badly But Goldstein \\u2013 according to both Bonham and Raue \\u2013 is starting to slip into Tim Wilson\\u2019s column Stay tuned \\u2013 counting resumes Tuesday the contest in Calwell is shaping as one of Victoria\\u2019s most fascinating as Labor\\u2019s primary vote in the north-west fringe Melbourne seat falls the two-candidate preferred count between Labor and Liberal is not very interesting and it\\u2019s not what\\u2019s relevant,\\u201D Raue said \\u201CWhat\\u2019s relevant here is you\\u2019ve got two independents and the Liberals on 16 and Labor on 31.\\u201D I don\\u2019t think I\\u2019ve ever seen a race like this And I don\\u2019t know which of them it is,\\u201D he said \\u201CEach of these is not just a simple question and it\\u2019s a big exercise to do work,\\u201D he said \\u201CPart of the complexity is there are heaps of candidates running.\\u201D If you\\u2019re obsessively refreshing the tally room feed today \\u2013 you\\u2019re not alone who gave a clearer picture of what\\u2019s happening behind the scenes it\\u2019s less of a wave of votes and more of a trickle \\u201CThey absolutely had to have completed their vote by the close of polls on election day 6pm on election day,\\u201D Ekin-Smyth said \\u201CBut they didn\\u2019t have to put it in the mailbox by then It\\u2019s quite generous \\u2013 we have to receive it by 13 days after election day.\\u201D There\\u2019s also a logistical lag: overseas ballots from 111 countries they\\u2019re for 150 different divisions,\\u201D Ekin-Smyth said \\u201CWe\\u2019ve got to stick them in all the different pigeonholes for the right division and then send them off \\u201CAnd even if we did have 100,000 people working again they\\u2019d just be sitting around twiddling their thumbs waiting for the mail.\\u201D So what\\u2019s happening in our hot seats today The mood has shifted dramatically in Kooyong since Saturday night when Dr Monique Ryan and her supporters what looked like a confident win \\u201CNot at all,\\u201D she replied when host Raf Epstein asked if she was still sure of victory \\u201CI think it\\u2019s 50-50 in Kooyong in Antony Green we trusted,\\u201D she said referring to the ABC\\u2019s respected election analyst who called the seat for Ryan on the night \\u201CBut postal votes have been very much pro the conservative side Kooyongis still very much up in the air.\\u201D her Liberal opponent Amelia Hamer \\u2014 who has remained silent publicly since election night \\u2014 appears to believe momentum is now with her I\\u2019ve just seen an email sent by Hamer to party volunteers late on Sunday night The subject line: \\u201CWe now need just 943 votes to win the seat of Kooyong.\\u201D \\u201CLast night was not the result we had hoped for the Coalition,\\u201D the email reads \\u201CWe had an average 3% swing against us across the country \\u201CIt is now clear there will be a swing towards us in Kooyong That is a direct result of your efforts over the past year.\\u201D \\u201CThere are still 22,000 votes to be counted and we need just 943 extra votes to win.\\u201D \\u201CMost of the uncounted votes are postal votes If these postal votes continue on their current TPP trajectory of 62\\u201338 That is not blind hope \\u2014 that\\u2019s the raw numbers.\\u201D Hamer also apologised for missing any supporters at her election night event: \\u201CI missed you at the Tower last night while we waited for pre-poll to be counted,\\u201D she wrote She thanked volunteers for \\u201Call your blood sweat and tears\\u201D and said the campaign had done \\u201Ceverything we possibly could have in the face of extremely challenging conditions.\\u201D Ryan described the Liberal campaign against her as \\u201Cpretty vicious\\u201D \\u201CI have to say it\\u2019s great to see community independents succeeding interstate and I was so happy to see colleagues doing really well there,\\u201D she said \\u201CBut I think that both Zoe [Daniel] and I have faced really pretty vicious battles in our electorates in Melbourne \\u201CWe were up against not just the Liberals particularly from the [Exclusive] Brethren We had a number of other right-wing groups \\u2014 Repeal the Teal (For a rundown on those groups and who is behind them check out my colleague Cara Waters\\u2019 excellent .) \\u201CThe Liberals teamed up with the coal lobby and fossil fuel lobbies and they really came for us \\u2014 really hard,\\u201D said Ryan Ryan questioned whether the Liberal Party\\u2019s focus on Goldstein and Kooyong had been the right strategic move for the conservative party \\u201COne of the things that will be interesting in the wash-up is for the Liberal Party to assess whether that\\u2019s where they should have put all their time and effort,\\u201D she said \\u201CPeople from Deakin and Menzies and Chisholm might think that effort could have been better placed elsewhere.\\u201D Ryan said that neither she nor Daniel was feeling \\u201Centirely comfortable\\u201D and she was bracing for a long week ahead \\u201CWe had a good night,\\u201D she said with a grin With the Coalition \\u201Ceviscerated,\\u201D Ryan believes the expanded crossbench will function as a de facto opposition in Parliament \\u201CI think it\\u2019s more important than ever that the crossbench act to hold the government to account on things that our communities want us to see them act on,\\u201D she said \\u201CWe want a government that will act effectively and quickly on climate action and on their net zero transition.. and the crossbench will hold them to account on that.\\u201D she still hadn\\u2019t heard from her Liberal opponent We\\u2019ve reached out to Hamer today but not heard back and her advisor says she won\\u2019t speak while counting continues \\u201CThere are still a lot of votes to be counted and the result has not yet been confirmed,\\u201D Ryan said \\u201CSo I think it\\u2019s entirely reasonable that I haven\\u2019t heard from her yet.\\u201D Ryan described the campaign as \\u201Cbrutal,\\u201D singling out the volume of negative advertising directed at her \\u201CWe actually started to work more effectively and collegially with the Liberal Party volunteers at pre-poll None of us felt comfortable with the tone \\u2014 people didn\\u2019t like it It didn\\u2019t sit well with us or with our community.\\u201D She sees this as evidence that Kooyong voters are rejecting the \\u201Cpolitics of division.\\u201D Even in the newer parts of the electorate \\u2014 including former Higgins territory like Toorak and Armadale \\u2014 Ryan says her message resonated \\u201CIt\\u2019s clear we were able to do pretty well They want an economic strategy that\\u2019s inclusive and addresses intergenerational inequality.\\u201D \\u201CI actually had a great deal of fun in the 47th Parliament working with people across the House \\u2014 Bob Katter even Barnaby [Joyce] on Assange,\\u201D she said on the issues that matter to my community.\\u201D Asked about Peter Dutton\\u2019s shock loss in Dickson Ryan said she felt sorry for \\u201Ceveryone who lost their seat\\u201D She said Dutton\\u2019s loss reminded her of her former opponent Josh Frydenberg who lost the seat of Kooyong in 2022 when he was serving treasurer: \\u201CIt\\u2019s probably really hard \\u2014 we saw this in Kooyong last time \\u2014 to have a really senior role in a political party and be a good local member People are saying they want their representatives to be local and community-based.\\u201D She said the Liberal campaign overall \\u201Chas been profoundly rejected by the country\\u201D \\u201CThey didn\\u2019t come to the election with meaningful policies on climate Ryan says climate change (which was her biggest policy platform in 2022) remains front of mind in Kooyong \\u2014 and the two issues are inextricably linked groceries \\u2014 all affected by climate change even if people aren\\u2019t using those exact words.\\u201D Ryan says she\\u2019ll focus on rebuilding cohesion in the community.\\u201CThere are social issues in this community But she also called out senior Liberal figures for targeting Chinese Australians during the campaign \\u2013 after a video emerged showing two people in Ryan campaign T-shirts handing out the teal MP\\u2019s how-to-vote cards and saying they were directed to vote for Ryan by an organisation which has been accused of working with an agency which advances the interests of the Chinese Community Party \\u201CEvery time Chinese Australians got involved in politics It was unfair and deeply unhelpful.\\u201D for those wondering if Ryan\\u2019s crowd and ended up overlapping last night half the people at the party probably knew George and his parents,\\u201D Ryan giggled \\u201CBut I apologise if there was any disruption [to George\\u2019s party].\\u201D Liberal candidate Tim Wilson is \\u201Cincredibly optimistic\\u201D of winning Goldstein as postal votes heavily favouring the former MP have rolled in and I think it\\u2019s really important to understand this,\\u201D Wilson said in a video posted to social media late on Sunday afternoon and Goldstein went that way,\\u201D he said pointing willingly and bought energy and enthusiasm.\\u201D \\u201CIn Goldstein the largest booth is postal votes,\\u201D Wilson said \\u201CThere were 27,000 postal-vote applications and we\\u2019re watching them roll in.\\u201D \\u201CEvery single batch of votes counted it continues to collapse,\\u201D Wilson said He said postal votes in Goldstein usually track in the Liberal Party\\u2019s favour by a ratio of about two-to-one \\u201CThat\\u2019s the reason we remain incredibly optimistic but we are not seeking to comment on the result until we see the final results,\\u201D Wilson said I\\u2019m tired and I\\u2019m elated it\\u2019s over,\\u201D he said \\u201CLast night was a very challenging night but said: \\u201CIt\\u2019s one of those times where the Liberal Party is going to have a look at itself.\\u201D \\u201CNow\\u2019s not a time to turn on each other now is a time to turn to each other to support each other,\\u201D he said Wilson said the Liberal Party was founded as the \\u201Cfront line\\u201D against political intersectional interests and vested interests \\u201CThe results clearly show that is not over but we are just going to have to be patient,\\u201D he said \\u201CThe result in Goldstein is obviously close and it will be some days before the result is confirmed,\\u201D \\u201CI again thank the voters of Goldstein for their support as well as the many volunteers who worked tirelessly on my campaign.\\u201D There was a hungover delirium inside Monique Ryan\\u2019s campaign office in Glenferrie Road where more than 100 teal-clad volunteers \\u2013 bleary-eyed from dancing into the wee hours at the Auburn Hotel \\u2013 gathered for a morning-after regroup This was the army behind Ryan\\u2019s win in Kooyong: more than 55,000 doors knocked there were still 10,000 postal votes to count and Feehely said there were \\u201Cmathematical possibilities\\u201D Ryan could lose her hold Ryan herself added: \\u201CThe prediction so far is that we\\u2019ll be OK .. and I don\\u2019t take anything for granted.\\u201D the result and what the community\\u2019s vote signalled about the future of Australian politics Ryan said the nastiness of ground-game politics seen in Kooyong had played out nationwide \\u2013 but had been rejected by voters tearfully relieved,\\u201D Lipmann told The Age Lipmann said of Ryan: \\u201CShe\\u2019s worked so hard and she\\u2019s taken on so many issues that were new for her \\u2013 she didn\\u2019t know them before \\u201CThe refugees who came by boat who are still living very constrained lives,\\u201D she said \\u201CHopefully this new government will be able to reverse the barbarity and cruelty that\\u2019s happened before.\\u201D I think we\\u2019ve woken up this morning to a country that is fundamentally different personally I don\\u2019t know exactly how things are going to go We have an opposition that\\u2019s been eviscerated and we don\\u2019t yet know what the final shape of the parliament will be But what we do know \\u2013 what you\\u2019ve all helped make clear \\u2013 is that we don\\u2019t want politics as it used to be There\\u2019s been a real tendency to flood the zone in parts of Australia \\u2013 and we\\u2019ve seen that in Kooyong Those of us who\\u2019ve been doorknocking or on pre-poll and polling booths in the last few weeks have come up against torrents of negativity more conciliatory \\u2013 to reach bipartisanship on the things that really matter and they\\u2019ve got a bigger majority \\u2013 what are you going to do?\\u2019 We\\u2019re going to hold them to account They want to know the government cares about them \\u2013 and will deliver adequate health care And that\\u2019s what the crossbench will fight for in this term of parliament.\\u201D \\u201CThe result in Goldstein is obviously close and it will be some days before the result is confirmed,\\u201D she said \\u201CI\\u2019m just going to let the votes fight act and work for me,\\u201D he said in a text message \\u201CIt\\u2019ll be tight,\\u201D he said \\u201CThe whole nation went in one direction but I genuinely think I\\u2019ll get there.\\u201D \\u201CWe just wanted to be sort of solid in the result before we spoke,\\u201D she told me after her victory speech \\u201CMy team are very good on data so they spend a lot of time just crunching the numbers.\\u201D Neither Labor\\u2019s Peter Khalil nor the Greens\\u2019 Samantha Ratnam would offer a view on who was ahead \\u201CIt\\u2019s dedicated to all of the women we have lost to men\\u2019s violence and the women running the gauntlet of men\\u2019s violence,\\u201D Cleary said on Sunday morning \\u201CThere are still plenty of votes to count,\\u201D Khalil told The Age \\u201CI haven\\u2019t looked at the booth-by-booth results yet but I think it\\u2019s two things: Gaza \\u2026 and the capitalist dream \\u2013 that if you work hard and study hard you will get the good job and the good house \\u2013 is over,\\u201D she said on Sunday morning \\u201CPeople are looking for more radical alternatives than the major parties offer.\\u201D Bolton said she wasn\\u2019t sure who would win Wills but thought Khalil might \\u201Csqueak back in\\u201D \\u201CIt would be a positive if the seat switches from Labor to the Greens,\\u201D she added Aside from Bolton\\u2019s Socialist Alliance It\\u2019s the morning after the election and Goldstein still hangs in the balance The dance floor was heaving when I left Zoe Daniel\\u2019s victory party just before midnight \\u201CWe did it!\\u201D she told the crowd of hundreds of teal T-shirt-clad supporters \\u201CDaniel is welcome to claim whatever she wants \\u2013 it is the voters that will decide the result,\\u201D he said last night 2025 9:08 AM EDTBruce Willis' wife Emma Heming Willis has been the primary caretaker of her husband since he received a devastating health diagnosis three years ago The Die Hard star was diagnosed with aphasia in 2022 and then frontotemporal dementia — a brain disease that affects a person's personality behavior and ability to speak — in 2023.  Heming Willis took a trip down memory lane looking at some old photos of her husband and their two daughters looking at old photos," she wrote on her Instagram Stories Heming Willis shared a little bit about the journey she's been on to raise awareness for people with FTD and more specifically to draw attention to the hardships faced by caretakers.  "There has been nothing greater than finding my community," she captioned another post on her Instagram Stories on May 3 Heming Willis also admitted that she's "terrified" of public speaking but she pushes herself because she feels as though she's been given a duty to use her platform and her voice to help others even though her husband has changed over the past couple of years "In those moments when I want to allow my fear to stop me Emma,'" she captioned a photo of her and her husband.  In the wake of everything that she's going through, Heming Willis decided to write a book aimed at helping others in the caretaker roll. "The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path" will be released on Sept. 9, 2025. The main message the book hopes to send is that "you are not alone." The event is organised by Phil Cleary, former independent MP for Wills, whose sister Vicki was killed in 1987 by her ex-partner. “It’s dedicated to all of the women we have lost to men’s violence and the women running the gauntlet of men’s violence,” Cleary said on Sunday morning. Families of women killed by men spoke at the event, followed by a Coburg-Carlton VFL match. The first bounce was scheduled for 1pm. “There are still plenty of votes to count,” Khalil told The Age, while Ratnam said she was feeling hopeful as scrutineering continued but that it would take some time before a final result was known. The Liberal vote in Wills dropped by about 4 per cent. Socialist Alliance candidate and Merri-bek councillor Sue Bolton was pleased to post a 5.5 per cent swing in her favour. “I haven’t looked at the booth-by-booth results yet, but I think it’s two things: Gaza … and the capitalist dream – that if you work hard and study hard, you will get the good job and the good house – is over,” she said on Sunday morning. “People are looking for more radical alternatives than the major parties offer.” Bolton said she wasn’t sure who would win Wills, but thought Khalil might “squeak back in”. “It would be a positive if the seat switches from Labor to the Greens,” she added. Aside from Bolton’s Socialist Alliance, all parties in Wills urged voters to preference Labor ahead of the Greens on their how-to-vote cards. It’s the morning after the election and Goldstein still hangs in the balance. The dance floor was heaving when I left Zoe Daniel’s victory party just before midnight. The teal independent MP claimed victory in a jubilant speech at the Elwood Bowls Club. “We did it!” she told the crowd of hundreds of teal T-shirt-clad supporters. “In Goldstein, hope wins.” But Liberal candidate Tim Wilson is not so certain. He has not conceded. As counting gets under way for a second day, the result is still tight, with Daniel just in front. Just over 74 per cent of the vote was counted by 10am, when Daniel led with 51 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote, ahead of Wilson on 49 per cent. Wilson thinks he may get up on postal votes, which he said were trending two-to-one in his favour. “Daniel is welcome to claim whatever she wants – it is the voters that will decide the result,” he said last night. “It’ll be tight. The whole nation went in one direction. We went in the other direction. I’m pretty proud of that. Succour if I fail, but I genuinely think I’ll get there.” As Monday\\u2019s count winds down, the two teal battlegrounds of Kooyong and Goldstein are officially back to \\u201Ctoo close to call\\u201D and I\\u2019ve been on the phone this afternoon with two election analysts \\u2013 Dr Kevin Bonham and Ben Raue of The Tally Room, for a pulse check. Both agree: in Goldstein, independent Zoe Daniel is in serious strife. Raue, who\\u2019s running his own projection model, estimates Daniel is on track to fall behind by around 900 votes once all ballots are counted. The issue for Daniel is postal votes. Daniel is currently picking up just 35 per cent of postals \\u2013 well below what she\\u2019d need to stay competitive. With a sizeable chunk of postal votes yet to be processed, the trajectory has her slipping further behind. There\\u2019s an interesting theory doing the rounds in political circles today that could help explain the trend. Goldstein \\u2014 like Kooyong \\u2014 has one of the largest Jewish communities in Victoria. Because religious Jewish voters don\\u2019t vote on Saturdays, many request postal votes instead. If Daniel lost support among this cohort, it may be disproportionately showing up in the postals. I ran that theory past a well-connected source within the Jewish community, who confirmed it\\u2019s \\u201Cvery possible.\\u201D \\u201CReligious Jews don\\u2019t vote on Saturdays, and anecdotally, I know many who traditionally receive postals,\\u201D they said, speaking on background. \\u201CI think given how tight the margins are in both seats, and the large Jewish communities, there\\u2019s probably something to it. Obviously, it\\u2019s hard to ever measure \\u2014 but so many people were single-issue this time, and the Coalition would have received a large share of that vote for sure.\\u201D Dr Bonham concurs that Daniel is in trouble, and told me the latest figures are \\u201Cnot looking good.\\u201D Over in Kooyong, fellow teal Monique Ryan is in a stronger \\u2013 though not yet secure \\u2013 position. Like Daniel, Ryan is underperforming on postal votes \\u2013 but not nearly as badly. About 2000 postal were counted on Monday and she currently leads by around 1000 votes. Raue expects Ryan to gain votes in declaration pre-polls and absentee votes and his modelling suggests she could finish roughly 800 votes ahead when all is said and done. Put simply: Kooyong still leans Ryan. But Goldstein \\u2013 according to both Bonham and Raue \\u2013 is starting to slip into Tim Wilson\\u2019s column. Still, with thousands of votes left to count across both seats, anything could happen. Stay tuned \\u2013 counting resumes Tuesday. While not strictly one of our Hot Seats, the contest in Calwell is shaping as one of Victoria\\u2019s most fascinating. Tally Room election analyst Ben Raue said counting there may take another two weeks, as Labor\\u2019s primary vote in the north-west fringe Melbourne seat falls. The Labor candidate in the seat, Basem Abdo, currently has about 30 per cent of the primary vote, representing a 14.2 per cent swing against the party. While Abdo leads that count, Raue said the AEC might need to re-calculate the leading two candidates as support for independents soars. \\u201CIn Calwell, the two-candidate preferred count between Labor and Liberal is not very interesting and it\\u2019s not what\\u2019s relevant,\\u201D Raue said. \\u201CWhat\\u2019s relevant here is you\\u2019ve got two independents, one is on 12 per cent, and the Liberals on 16 and Labor on 31.\\u201D Raue said the AEC might need to split the two-party preferred count three ways, or even four ways, in Calwell to see who comes out on top. \\u201CI\\u2019ve never experienced, I\\u2019ve never seen this before. Literally, I don\\u2019t think I\\u2019ve ever seen a race like this, where the third and the fourth candidates look like they could win. And I don\\u2019t know which of them it is,\\u201D he said. Independent candidates Carly Moore (a former Labor local mayor) and Joseph Youhana currently have 12.1 per cent and 11.9 per cent of the votes, as postal votes continue to flow in. The AEC has said it will have to do a total recount on Tuesday, which could drastically change the game. Raue said multiple calculations could be completed with preferences, which could mean the final result in Calwell could take up to two weeks. \\u201CEach of these is not just a simple question. This is moving tens of thousands of ballot papers around the table, and it\\u2019s a big exercise to do work,\\u201D he said. \\u201CPart of the complexity is there are heaps of candidates running.\\u201D Two other Victorian seats to watch are Flinders and Bendigo, and Raue said we can expect more information on those later today. If you\\u2019re obsessively refreshing the tally room feed today \\u2013 you\\u2019re not alone. But the bad news is the count is slowing down. I just got off the phone with Evan Ekin-Smyth, a spokesman for the Australian Electoral Commission, who gave a clearer picture of what\\u2019s happening behind the scenes. There were 100,000 AEC staffers working at polling places and on the initial count on Saturday. But that number drops significantly after election day as, from here, it\\u2019s less of a wave of votes and more of a trickle, especially when it comes to postal votes. Voters who applied for a postal vote have 13 days after election day to get their ballot to the AEC this year, by Friday, May 16. \\u201CThey absolutely had to have completed their vote by the close of polls on election day, 6pm on election day,\\u201D Ekin-Smyth said. \\u201CBut they didn\\u2019t have to put it in the mailbox by then. So they could have completed it at 5.59pm on election day and they could be coming out this morning to find a post box. It\\u2019s quite generous \\u2013 we have to receive it by 13 days after election day.\\u201D Ekin-Smyth said the vast majority of postal votes would arrive well before the deadline and most seats should be called before then. But in really tight contests (Goldstein, I\\u2019m looking at you), the wait could stretch the full two weeks. There\\u2019s also a logistical lag: overseas ballots from 111 countries, votes cast interstate at more than 600 centres, and the laborious process of sorting, verifying and allocating those ballots correctly. \\u201CIf they come from London, for example, they\\u2019re for 150 different divisions,\\u201D Ekin-Smyth said. \\u201CWe\\u2019ve got to stick them in all the different pigeonholes for the right division and then send them off. Transport isn\\u2019t magic, right? \\u201CAnd even if we did have 100,000 people working again, they\\u2019d just be sitting around twiddling their thumbs waiting for the mail.\\u201D So what\\u2019s happening in our hot seats today? So yes, we\\u2019re all in for a wait. Candidates, the public and yours truly. There\\u2019s no rest for the wicked, they say. The mood has shifted dramatically in Kooyong since Saturday night, when Dr Monique Ryan and her supporters what looked like a confident win. The nearly 30,000 postal votes have served a dose of political uncertainty, and now, on Monday morning, the race is far from over. Speaking on ABC Radio Melbourne this morning, Ryan sounded far less confident than she had 36 hours earlier. \\u201CNot at all,\\u201D she replied when host Raf Epstein asked if she was still sure of victory. \\u201CI think it\\u2019s 50-50 in Kooyong. Things were looking good on the night and, you know, in Antony Green we trusted,\\u201D she said, referring to the ABC\\u2019s respected election analyst who called the seat for Ryan on the night, as did The Age. The ABC and our mastheads have since downgraded their calls. \\u201CBut postal votes have been very much pro the conservative side. So I think at this point, Kooyongis still very much up in the air.\\u201D Asked directly whether she could lose, she said: \\u201CIt\\u2019s possible. Absolutely.\\u201D Meanwhile, her Liberal opponent Amelia Hamer \\u2014 who has remained silent publicly since election night \\u2014 appears to believe momentum is now with her. I\\u2019ve just seen an email sent by Hamer to party volunteers late on Sunday night. The subject line: \\u201CWe now need just 943 votes to win the seat of Kooyong.\\u201D \\u201CLast night was not the result we had hoped for the Coalition,\\u201D the email reads. \\u201CWe had an average 3% swing against us across the country. But thanks to all your hard work, we managed to fight the national swing. \\u201CIt is now clear there will be a swing towards us in Kooyong. There are only a small handful of seats nationwide where this is the case. Currently the swing to us in Kooyong is +1.5% and we have 49% of the vote. That is a direct result of your efforts over the past year.\\u201D \\u201CThere are still 22,000 votes to be counted, and we need just 943 extra votes to win.\\u201D \\u201CMost of the uncounted votes are postal votes. They are coming in very strongly in our favour. If these postal votes continue on their current TPP trajectory of 62\\u201338, we can win this seat. That is not blind hope \\u2014 that\\u2019s the raw numbers.\\u201D Hamer also apologised for missing any supporters at her election night event: \\u201CI missed you at the Tower last night while we waited for pre-poll to be counted,\\u201D she wrote. (, Hamer did not appear until about 11pm.) She thanked volunteers for \\u201Call your blood, sweat and tears\\u201D and said the campaign had done \\u201Ceverything we possibly could have in the face of extremely challenging conditions.\\u201D On ABC radio this morning, Ryan described the Liberal campaign against her as \\u201Cpretty vicious\\u201D. \\u201CI have to say it\\u2019s great to see community independents succeeding interstate, and I was so happy to see colleagues doing really well there,\\u201D she said. \\u201CBut I think that both Zoe [Daniel] and I have faced really pretty vicious battles in our electorates in Melbourne. \\u201CWe were up against not just the Liberals. We had dozens of conscripts, particularly from the [Exclusive] Brethren, into our communities. We had a number of other right-wing groups \\u2014 Repeal the Teal, Better Australia, Advance, Australians for Prosperity. (For a rundown on those groups and who is behind them, check out my colleague Cara Waters\\u2019 excellent .) \\u201CThe Liberals teamed up with the coal lobby and fossil fuel lobbies, and they really came for us \\u2014 really hard,\\u201D said Ryan. Ryan questioned whether the Liberal Party\\u2019s focus on Goldstein and Kooyong had been the right strategic move for the conservative party. \\u201COne of the things that will be interesting in the wash-up is for the Liberal Party to assess whether that\\u2019s where they should have put all their time and effort,\\u201D she said. At this point, Ryan said that neither she nor Daniel was feeling \\u201Centirely comfortable\\u201D and she was bracing for a long week ahead. Kooyong MP Monique Ryan was all smiles this morning after likely securing a second term in one of the most closely watched races in the country. As of 9pm Sunday, 75 per cent of the vote as been counted, with Ryan ahead of Liberal Amelia Hamer after preferences 51 per cent to 49 per cent. \\u201CWe had a good night,\\u201D she said with a grin, reflecting on the teal election party that took over the Auburn Hotel in Hawthorn. But her attention quickly turned to what lies ahead. With the Coalition \\u201Ceviscerated,\\u201D Ryan believes the expanded crossbench will function as a de facto opposition in Parliament. \\u201CI think it\\u2019s more important than ever that the crossbench act to hold the government to account on things that our communities want us to see them act on,\\u201D she said. \\u201CWe want a government that will act effectively and quickly on climate action and on their net zero transition... The Albanese government will have no excuse not to take on the big issues, and the crossbench will hold them to account on that.\\u201D Ryan said, as of lunchtime, she still hadn\\u2019t heard from her Liberal opponent, Amelia Hamer, who made a delayed appearance at her own party late last night and has not publicly conceded. We\\u2019ve reached out to Hamer today but not heard back, and her advisor says she won\\u2019t speak while counting continues. \\u201CThere are still a lot of votes to be counted, including a lot of postal votes that have not yet been counted, and the result has not yet been confirmed,\\u201D Ryan said. \\u201CSo I think it\\u2019s entirely reasonable that I haven\\u2019t heard from her yet.\\u201D Ryan described the campaign as \\u201Cbrutal,\\u201D singling out the volume of negative advertising directed at her. But she noted a shift in tone during the final stretch between her team and the Liberal party volunteers on the ground. \\u201CWe actually started to work more effectively and collegially with the Liberal Party volunteers at pre-poll. None of us felt comfortable with the tone \\u2014 people didn\\u2019t like it. It didn\\u2019t sit well with us or with our community.\\u201D Even in the newer parts of the electorate \\u2014 including former Higgins territory like Toorak and Armadale \\u2014 Ryan says her message resonated. \\u201CIt\\u2019s clear we were able to do pretty well. People still care about climate action, the cost of living crisis, and housing. They want tax reform. They want an economic strategy that\\u2019s inclusive and addresses intergenerational inequality.\\u201D Ryan says her approach in the next term will again be pragmatic and collaborative, including with unlikely allies. \\u201CI actually had a great deal of fun in the 47th Parliament working with people across the House \\u2014 Bob Katter, even Barnaby [Joyce] on Assange,\\u201D she said. \\u201CI\\u2019ll work with anyone, pragmatically and sensibly, on the issues that matter to my community.\\u201D Asked about Peter Dutton\\u2019s shock loss in Dickson, Ryan said she felt sorry for \\u201Ceveryone who lost their seat\\u201D. She said Dutton\\u2019s loss reminded her of her former opponent Josh Frydenberg who lost the seat of Kooyong in 2022 when he was serving treasurer: \\u201CIt\\u2019s probably really hard \\u2014 we saw this in Kooyong last time \\u2014 to have a really senior role in a political party and be a good local member. People are saying they want their representatives to be local and community-based.\\u201D She said the Liberal campaign overall \\u201Chas been profoundly rejected by the country\\u201D. \\u201CThey didn\\u2019t come to the election with meaningful policies on climate, housing, health, disability, aged care or childcare. People want a vision.\\u201D While the cost of living dominated the national narrative, Ryan says climate change (which was her biggest policy platform in 2022) remains front of mind in Kooyong \\u2014 and the two issues are inextricably linked. \\u201CPeople talked about electricity, gas, insurance, groceries \\u2014 all affected by climate change. I do think climate action is still front of mind, even if people aren\\u2019t using those exact words.\\u201D In her second term, Ryan says she\\u2019ll focus on rebuilding cohesion in the community.\\u201CThere are social issues in this community, safety is a concern.\\u201D But she also called out senior Liberal figures for targeting Chinese Australians during the campaign \\u2013 after a video emerged showing two people in Ryan campaign T-shirts handing out the teal MP\\u2019s how-to-vote cards and saying they were directed to vote for Ryan by an organisation which has been accused of working with an agency which advances the interests of the Chinese Community Party. \\u201CEvery time Chinese Australians got involved in politics, we saw people like Jane Hume and James Paterson punch down on them. It was unfair and deeply unhelpful.\\u201D And finally, for those wondering if Ryan\\u2019s crowd and ended up overlapping last night, the answer is: probably not. \\u201CNot that I know of! But knowing Kooyong, half the people at the party probably knew George and his parents,\\u201D Ryan giggled. \\u201CBut I apologise if there was any disruption [to George\\u2019s party].\\u201D Liberal candidate Tim Wilson is \\u201Cincredibly optimistic\\u201D of winning Goldstein as postal votes heavily favouring the former MP have rolled in, slashing his election-night deficit. Wilson believes he can snatch the seat back from teal independent Zoe Daniel, who thought she had retained Goldstein on election night. \\u201CWe have bucked a massive trend, and I think it\\u2019s really important to understand this,\\u201D Wilson said in a video posted to social media late on Sunday afternoon. \\u201CBasically, most of the nation went that way, and Goldstein went that way,\\u201D he said pointing, in opposing directions. Wilson said in Victoria there was a statewide swing against the Liberals of about 2 per cent, but in Goldstein there was a primary vote swing to the Liberals of 3.8 per cent or nearly 4 per cent. \\u201CIn effect, we have bucked the trend by nearly 6 per cent and that has come down to all of the people who have been part of this campaign, who\\u2019ve come along, have participated wilfully, willingly and bought energy and enthusiasm.\\u201D Daniel made a victory speech on Saturday night when the vote count had her ahead, but since then postal votes have closed the margin. \\u201CIn Goldstein the largest booth is postal votes,\\u201D Wilson said. \\u201CThere were 27,000 postal-vote applications, and we\\u2019re watching them roll in.\\u201D On Sunday morning, Daniel enjoyed a lead of 1800 votes, at the time of Wilson recording his video it had dropped to 700 votes and at 7pm it was down to 95 votes. \\u201CEvery single batch of votes counted, it continues to collapse,\\u201D Wilson said. He said postal votes in Goldstein usually track in the Liberal Party\\u2019s favour by a ratio of about two-to-one. \\u201CThat\\u2019s the reason we remain incredibly optimistic, but we are not seeking to comment on the result until we see the final results,\\u201D Wilson said. Wilson declined a request for an interview but posed for photographs at Brighton Baths with his husband, Ryan Bolger, whom he thanked for his support. \\u201CI\\u2019m battle weary, I\\u2019m tired and I\\u2019m elated it\\u2019s over,\\u201D he said. Wilson also acknowledged the catastrophic result for the Liberal Party across Australia. \\u201CLast night was a very challenging night, if you\\u2019re a proud Liberal like I am, for the Liberal Party,\\u201D he said. Wilson said he wanted to honour former opposition leader Peter Dutton for his service, but said: \\u201CIt\\u2019s one of those times where the Liberal Party is going to have a look at itself.\\u201D \\u201CNow\\u2019s not a time to turn on each other, now is a time to turn to each other to support each other,\\u201D he said. Wilson said the Liberal Party was founded as the \\u201Cfront line\\u201D against political intersectional interests and vested interests. \\u201CThe results clearly show that is not over, that there is still a lot of room for optimism and that we still have a lot of justification for hope, but we are just going to have to be patient,\\u201D he said. Daniel also declined an interview request today and issued a brief statement. \\u201CThe result in Goldstein is obviously close and it will be some days before the result is confirmed,\\u201D . There was a hungover delirium inside Monique Ryan\\u2019s campaign office in Glenferrie Road, Malvern, this morning, where more than 100 teal-clad volunteers \\u2013 bleary-eyed from dancing into the wee hours at the Auburn Hotel \\u2013 gathered for a morning-after regroup. Some brought cakes and slice, some brought their kelpies. This was the army behind Ryan\\u2019s win in Kooyong: more than 55,000 doors knocked, 2300 corflutes placed on fences and 1000 volunteers out on election day alone. Campaign manager Conal Feehely called out one volunteer, Tony, who spent all of last night scrutinising results at the central counting booth. At midday today, there were still 10,000 postal votes to count and Feehely said there were \\u201Cmathematical possibilities\\u201D Ryan could lose her hold. Ryan herself added: \\u201CThe prediction so far is that we\\u2019ll be OK ... but it\\u2019s not in the bag, and I don\\u2019t take anything for granted.\\u201D The woman of the hour took the mic to address the room, reflecting on the campaign, the result and what the community\\u2019s vote signalled about the future of Australian politics. In a speech that ranged from gratitude to grim honesty, Ryan said the nastiness of ground-game politics seen in Kooyong had played out nationwide \\u2013 but had been rejected by voters. Ryan hugged her volunteers, including Davina Lipmann. from action group Grandmothers for Refugees. \\u201CI\\u2019m incredibly relieved, tearfully relieved,\\u201D Lipmann told The Age. Lipmann said of Ryan: \\u201CShe\\u2019s worked so hard. She\\u2019s delightful, sophisticated, mature. She knows what she\\u2019s doing, and she\\u2019s taken on so many issues that were new for her \\u2013 she didn\\u2019t know them before. She\\u2019s a great listener, and she\\u2019s compassionate.\\u201D Lipmann hopes Ryan can deliver the influence she spoke about on the Albanese government for the issue she cares about most. \\u201CThe refugees who came by boat who are still living very constrained lives,\\u201D she said. \\u201CHopefully this new government will be able to reverse the barbarity and cruelty that\\u2019s happened before.\\u201D I think we\\u2019ve woken up this morning to a country that is fundamentally different personally, I feel like the country has rejected the politics of division and has said it wants us to do things differently. I don\\u2019t know exactly how things are going to go. People keep asking me, \\u2018What\\u2019s going to happen now? How\\u2019s it going to be?\\u2019 We have a government with an increased majority. We have an opposition that\\u2019s been eviscerated. There are still many seats in the mix, and we don\\u2019t yet know what the final shape of the parliament will be. But what we do know \\u2013 what you\\u2019ve all helped make clear \\u2013 is that we don\\u2019t want politics as it used to be. We want people-powered politics. We want it done differently. There\\u2019s been a real tendency to flood the zone in parts of Australia \\u2013 and we\\u2019ve seen that in Kooyong. Those of us who\\u2019ve been doorknocking or on pre-poll and polling booths in the last few weeks have come up against torrents of negativity. Every household in this electorate has been letterboxed repeatedly with negative advertisements. We don\\u2019t want it to be like that. What we want is for our community to rebuild. And I think most of us want politics to be more respectful and, hopefully, more conciliatory \\u2013 to reach bipartisanship on the things that really matter. So people are asking me, \\u2018If you\\u2019re still there, and they\\u2019ve got a bigger majority \\u2013 what are you going to do?\\u2019 We\\u2019re going to hold them to account. That\\u2019s what we\\u2019ll do. We know what Australians want. They want certainty about their economic future. They want real action on climate change. They want to know the government cares about them \\u2013 and will deliver adequate health care, mental health care, dental care, disability care, aged care and child care. And that\\u2019s what the crossbench will fight for in this term of parliament.\\u201D Independent teal MP Zoe Daniel says a result could be days away in Goldstein, despite her having claimed victory at her election party last night. After midday, with just over 74 per cent of ballots counted, Daniel was leading with 51 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, ahead of Liberal candidate Tim Wilson on 49 per cent. She was not available for interview on Sunday but issued a brief statement at midday. \\u201CThe result in Goldstein is obviously close and it will be some days before the result is confirmed,\\u201D she said. Wilson has also declined all interview requests today. \\u201CI\\u2019m just going to let the votes fight, act and work for me,\\u201D he said in a text message. Last night Wilson said he thought he might get up on postal votes, which were trending two-to-one in his favour. \\u201CIt\\u2019ll be tight,\\u201D he said. \\u201CThe whole nation went in one direction. We went in the other direction. I\\u2019m pretty proud of that. Succour if I fail, but I genuinely think I\\u2019ll get there.\\u201D Last night Daniel thought she had won after waiting until almost 11pm to claim victory. \\u201CWe just wanted to be sort of solid in the result before we spoke,\\u201D she told me after her victory speech. Labor and the Greens were both still hopeful of picking up Wills as counting continued at an Australian Electoral Commission site in West Footscray on Sunday. Neither Labor\\u2019s Peter Khalil nor the Greens\\u2019 Samantha Ratnam would offer a view on who was ahead, although there was a sense from Labor that it was more likely to do better on postal votes now being counted. By Sunday afternoon, with 70 per cent of the vote counted, Labor was ahead by 0.68 per cent. Both Ratnam and Khalil were at Vicki Cleary Day at the Coburg football ground on Sunday. The event is organised by , former independent MP for Wills, by her ex-partner. \\u201CIt\\u2019s dedicated to all of the women we have lost to men\\u2019s violence and the women running the gauntlet of men\\u2019s violence,\\u201D Cleary said on Sunday morning. \\u201CThere are still plenty of votes to count,\\u201D Khalil told The Age, while Ratnam said she was feeling hopeful as scrutineering continued but that it would take some time before a final result was known. \\u201CI haven\\u2019t looked at the booth-by-booth results yet, but I think it\\u2019s two things: Gaza \\u2026 and the capitalist dream \\u2013 that if you work hard and study hard, you will get the good job and the good house \\u2013 is over,\\u201D she said on Sunday morning. \\u201CPeople are looking for more radical alternatives than the major parties offer.\\u201D Bolton said she wasn\\u2019t sure who would win Wills, but thought Khalil might \\u201Csqueak back in\\u201D. \\u201CIt would be a positive if the seat switches from Labor to the Greens,\\u201D she added. Aside from Bolton\\u2019s Socialist Alliance, all parties in Wills urged voters to preference Labor ahead of the Greens on their how-to-vote cards. It\\u2019s the morning after the election and Goldstein still hangs in the balance. The dance floor was heaving when I left Zoe Daniel\\u2019s victory party just before midnight. \\u201CWe did it!\\u201D she told the crowd of hundreds of teal T-shirt-clad supporters. \\u201CIn Goldstein, hope wins.\\u201D \\u201CDaniel is welcome to claim whatever she wants \\u2013 it is the voters that will decide the result,\\u201D he said last night. \\u201CIt\\u2019ll be tight. The whole nation went in one direction. We went in the other direction. I\\u2019m pretty proud of that. Succour if I fail, but I genuinely think I\\u2019ll get there.\\u201D This weekend was commencement at my home institution, always a bittersweet moment.  People we’ve grown to know and love as students are making the big jump into their next lives ― grad school and law school and med school and business school for many. Real jobs in the real world, moving out of the home they’ve known for the past four years into new digs ― either here or far away ― and starting the next track in their lives.  We will miss them, but not for long. Our grads come back to us ― to reconnect, to help mentor the people sitting at their old desks. No matter how far the distance is, our alumni never lose that link.  But for the months ahead, campus will be quite different. Unlike the old days, our place now converts to a research space for summer-long projects, a center for summer internships, and a planning space for the coming year. All the same, it's different: not as crowded, and many faces will be missing. Gone, for the moment, into the future. But as has been true for the past decade, May is also a time for launching into an international adventure for a lot of students, as they venture off across the planet in classes headed for Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, Latvia, and shores far distant from the sunbaked benches on Frank Lloyd Wright’s only campus.  For the next three columns (following this one) I’ll be posting to you from Germany, as I “lead” (or more likely, “am led”) by a wonderful crew of undergrads through the terrible history of the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp, where they will do archival and on-site research into Hitler’s only camp expressly purposed for the targeted misery and deaths of women and children.  But there are two distinct experiences on this trip. We will “decompress” in that center of German culture ― Weimar ― and in Erfürt, Martin Luther’s first religious home as a priest.  As is true with every nation, including our own, the history of Germany is rife with terrible acts ― and wonderful discoveries. With wretchedness and grief, and with miraculous redemptive acts and examples of moral courage. Weimar has the palace of the Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach family, rulers who elevated the arts to a degree unmatched and attracted artists, musicians and composers in a revolution of imagination and creativity that impacts us to this day.  Among those drawn to Weimar over many years were Hermann Hesse and Heinreich Mann, who wrote here; Franz Litsz, who composed here. Walther Gropius founded the Bauhaus movement in art, design and architecture here in 1919. Weimar was also home to those icons of German literature and poetry, Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller: both of whom lived and worked in Weimar. The juxtaposition of these factors in modern Germany is not random. The camp memorials are a constant reminder of the past. German middle school kids are required to take classes in the Holocaust. It reveals a manner of thinking about history critically, that causes a pause in the national polity when extremists, whether from the far left or the far right, seem to be in ascendancy. And we’ll walk both the chipped basalt of the camp, and the worn cobbles of Erfürt’s ancient fish market. We’ll admire the genius of the Bauhaus in their new museum and wonder at the crushed hopes of the “Weimar Republic,” founded here in 1919 as the Communists ruled Berlin in the aftermath of World War I; a utopian republic ultimately destroyed by the Nazis and their own wretchedly weak Weimar system. Today, Germany is guided by what is called the “Basic Law,” a strong constitution adopted with American help and leadership that is, in important ways, modeled on our own. It acts as a guardrail against the worst impulses of the polity. They have been taught an ugly historical lesson: that to ignore the past may drop you back into its worst elements.  R. Bruce Anderson is the Dr. Sarah D. and L. Kirk McKay, Jr. Endowed Chair in American History, Government, and Civics and Miller Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. He is also a columnist for The Ledger and political consultant and on-air commentator for WLKF Radio. Share via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe has thrown his support behind Jayne Hrdlicka the former Virgin Australia chief executive who will run the hospitality group from next year saying he has worked with her decades ago when she was advising Woolworths Hrdlicka will take over as managing director of Endeavour which runs the Dan Murphy’s and BWS liquor chains and a portfolio of pubs marking her return to the business after more than two decades Hrdlicka advised Woolworths on its liquor strategy in the early 2000s which ultimately led to the creation of Endeavour SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy link Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. from The Sopranos to Married at First Sight The result is that he’s got really interesting taste and the cultural impact of songs doesn’t mean anything to him His friends had put him on to many modern greats and I asked if he had dabbled in the classics He said he liked Led Zeppelin but thought that Greta Van Fleet was better I don’t think Greta Van Fleet are a bad band; however I find it deeply frustrating that some musicians have found fame by blatantly copying others Despite reservations about their own pilfering of blues classics and four of the greatest artists in the world came together to deliver some of the most killer albums this world has ever seen Greta Van Fleet takes that sound and produces a carbon copy that sounds like a diet version of Zeppelin But this guy didn’t care about Led Zeppelin’s legacy. As far as he was concerned, both of these bands existed at the same time, had a similar impact, and left behind a similar legacy, and Greta Van Fleet just happened to be the version he preferred of Jimmy Page passing out on a tour and dedicating his next few years to studio work learning multiple genres and then eventually merging them I tried to explain Robert Plant’s affinity for folklore and how he incorporated that into his mythological songs I tried to explain John Bonham’s drumming style and how he was unlike any other percussionist I tried to explain how people thought John Paul Jones was proof that the band had sold their souls to the devil and how crucial he was in holding the band together He had escaped an abusive religious household and he thought Greta Van Fleet was better than Led Zeppelin do you like Bruce Springsteen?” To which he said but it wouldn’t surprise me if his comments on Greta Van Fleet were somewhat similar when discussing Sam Fender and Bruce Springsteen We hear comments all the time about how Sam Fender sounds like Bruce Springsteen and the reason why we constantly hear this comparison is because Fender has never been afraid to admit he’s a big fan of Springsteen “I’m thinking about the moment Bruce’s music first resonated with me,” he said in my brother Liam Fender’s van that he used to gig with loose baccy and the old green packets of golden Virginia all over the van driving down to Manchester for some audition for God knows what.” Fender continued, “My brother whacks in the CD and the snare roll of ‘Born to Run’ punched me in the face for the very first time Something stirred in me that day – and I wish that I could bottle the feeling I had in that van I wouldn’t be what I am today without my brother that music and those long rides in that janky little van.” You can hear Bruce Springsteen’s influence on Fender throughout his music—not only in the way it sounds which is a stadium-like anthemic rock sound Springsteen and Fender are both happy to write about societal imbalances and it’s a connection that Sam Fender is always happy to acknowledge The question remains whether Fender wears his influence on his sleeve too much to the point that he’s less inspired by Springsteen and more mimics him His approach isn’t as blatant as Greta Van Fleet’s but there is certainly an argument to be had there there is no escaping that the two definitely sound alike the Labor landslide swept strongly across Melbourne’s South East all three Labor incumbent MPs gained massive swings to emphatically increase their margins to an eminently-safe 15 per cent-plus The largest shift was for Julian Hill in the once-marginal seat of Bruce Liberal rival Zahid Safi’s primary vote collapsed by 9 per cent – the biggest beneficiary being Hill while Trumpet of Patriots suffered a 5.5 per cent loss compared to predecessor United Australia Party in 2022 Labor incumbents Clare O’Neil (5.7 per cent 2PP swing) and Mark Dreyfus (5.3 per cent) made massive leaps with modest gains for Greens and One Nation Dreyfus and O’Neil were on track for absolute majorities of 50 per cent primaries – without need for preferences roughly 70 per cent-plus of votes had been counted in the seats (72 per cent counted – including ordinary and postal votes) 2PP: Julian HILL (ALP) 65.3 per cent (swing 10 %) + Julian HILL (ALP): 40,011 (46.4 per cent) Zahid SAFI (Lib): 19,588 (22.7 per cent) Rhonda GARAD (Greens): 10,387 (12 per cent) Bianca COLECCHIA (One Nation): 6853 (7.9 per cent) Wendy BIRCHALL (Family First): 3199 (3.7 per cent) Andrew LOUTH (Legalise Cannabis): 2598 (3 per cent) Samuel ANDERSON (Trumpet): 2582 (3 per cent) (* – 5.5 % swing United Australia Party) Christine SKROBO (Libertarian): 1045 (1.2 per cent) ( * – 3.5 % swing Liberal Democratic Party) 2PP: Clare O’NEIL (ALP) 67.3 per cent (swing 5.7 %) +Clare O’NEIL (ALP): 43,876 (49.8 per cent) Harmick Singh MATHARU (Liberal): 22,585 (25.6 per cent) Martin BARRY (Greens): 12,652 (14.4 per cent) Stuart FOGARTY (One Nation): 3913 (4.4 per cent) Mark BROWN (Family First): 2872 (3.3 per cent) Tony VAINORAS (Citizens): 2189 (2.5 per cent) 2PP: Mark DREYFUS (ALP) 64.8 per cent (swing 5.3 %) +Mark DREYFUS (ALP): 44,524 (50.1 per cent) Fiona OTTEY (Liberal): 25,233 (28.4 per cent) Matthew KIRWAN (Greens): 12,233 (13.8 per cent) Geoff McMAHON (One Nation): 3878 (4.4 per cent) Audrey HARMSE (Family First): 2970 (3.3 per cent) follow the instructions for your browser below all four Labor incumbent MPs gained massive swings to emphatically increase their margins to an eminently-safe 15 per cent-plus while Trumpet of Patriots suffered a 5.6 per cent loss compared to predecessor United Australia Party Labor incumbents Cassandra Fernando (7.43 per cent 2PP swing) Clare O’Neil (5.7 per cent 2PP swing) and Mark Dreyfus (5.3 per cent 2PP swing) made massive leaps Dreyfus and O’Neil were on track for absolute majorities of 50 per cent primaries – without the need for preferences more than 70 per cent of the votes had been counted in these four seats (73.2 per cent counted – including ordinary and postal votes) 2PP: Cassandra Fernando (ALP) 64.54 per cent (swing 7.43 %) + Cassandra Fernando (ALP): 35,513 (45.75 per cent) + Annette Samuel (Lib): 19,370 (24.95 per cent) + Payal Tiwari (Greens): 8868 (11.42 per cent) 2PP: Julian HILL (ALP) 65.28 per cent (swing 9.97 %) “This was a really unusual collection of songs,” Springsteen said in press materials “You could recognize details and maybe a character or two I just wrote atmospheric music that I thought would fit.” Among the 11 tracks are four instrumentals but Springsteen plays and sings solo for much of the record and some touring E Street Band members—Soozie Tyrell Michelle Moore and Ada Dyer—contribute alongside Patti Scialfa and Evan and Sam Springsteen VictoriaMG is one of a number of hugely ambitious Chinese brands looking to take over the Aussie market Until now its sales success has been built on value pricing (the $120,000 Cyberster aside) and the ZS compact SUV has been particularly successful on that basis MG has introduced a more expensive petrol-electric hybrid The 2025 MG ZS Excite Hybrid+ was launched at $33,990 plus on-road costs (ORCs) the Hybrid+ Essence was priced at $36,990 plus ORCs However, at the time of publication the ZS Excite Hybrid+ was priced at discounted $32,990 drive away. That makes it more competitive, especially against another popular Chinese hybrid, the Haval Jolion So just check the MG website for the latest pricing The petrol-electric hybrid powertrain is new with the second-generation ZS line-up Previously there were petrol engines and a battery-electric powertrain But the BEV is now being recast as a stand-alone model called the MGS5 EV Not interested in electrification? Then the orthodox ZS 1.5-litre petrol and turbo-petrol line-up starts at $26,990 drive away for the Excite That’s pricing more in line with the traditional ZS Excite is the entry-level model in the 2025 MG ZS Hybrid+ line-up As it should considering the price of the entry Exterior equipment includes LED headlights and daytime running lights single-zone climate control and pushbutton start (it’s a square button If you upgrade to the Essence items including a panoramic sunroof PVC synthetic leather seat trim and a powered driver’s seat are added six of which will set you back an additional $700 the ZS Hybrid+ comes with a 10-year/250,000km warranty that includes the high-voltage battery Roadside assist is offered for the same timeframe Servicing is due every 12 months/15,000km and is priced at $656 for three workshop visits and $1232 for five The MG ZS Hybrid+ has been issued with a four-star ANCAP safety rating based on 2024 testing protocols The downgrade from the maximum five-star rating is due to Adult Occupant Protection shortfalls There was an excessive amount of movement allowed in the rear seatbelt during crash testing while no centre-front airbag also hurt its score MG Pilot is the name applied to the Excite’s suite of safety systems including autonomous emergency braking and intelligent speed limit assist.The tune of systems such as lane keeping can be an issue with some Chinese vehicles but the ZS Hybrid+ exhibited good overall behaviour when left to its own devices to read the road ahead and stay centred in its lane when it does get a bit intrusive – which it can do – it’s a process to switch it off.There is no driver monitoring camera – which is great One less thing to switch off.Other safety features include six airbags these screens don’t sit like a fence on the dashboard but are integrated separately into the dash The infotainment system delivers wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto AM/FM and digital radio bands and satellite-navigation Audio is broadcast via a six-speaker sound system There are four USB-A ports spread about the cabin The instrument cluster includes a 7.0-inch display in its centre which offers trip information and a feature Chinese vehicles seem fond of for some reason – a graphic showing where your car is sitting in relation to other vehicles in the traffic stream The ZS also comes with a 12-month subscription to MG’s connected car app It also helps you track down the ZS if you’ve lost it in a carpark The powertrain is very much the centre of the story when it comes to the MG ZS Excite Hybrid+ Something very similar is also seen locally in the latest MG3 small car It comprises a 75kW/128Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 100kW/250Nm e-motor that combine to drive the front wheels via a three-speed transmission A 1.83kWh battery pack replenishes the e-motor while the engine runs on more expensive 95 RON petrol The combined outputs of the system are 158kW/465Nm MG claims the dash to 100km/h takes 8.7 seconds The torque number seems optimistic and are the result of some tricky gearing multiplication arithmetic The clever hybrid system has no less than eight propulsion modes It also has three drive modes and three regenerative braking modes it tries to run as an EV as much as possible at low speed and utilises the engine to recharge the battery The engine also drives the wheels directly at higher speeds At the ZS media launch late last year some cars on-test derated That means their batteries became exhausted the e-motor stopped working and the petrol engine was left to do all the work Since the electric architecture has been retuned via an over-the-air software update and MG is promising the problem would not reoccur You’ll have to keep reading to find out if it did The 2025 MG ZS Excite Hybrid+ has an official claimed fuel consumption rate of 4.7L/100km the average came out at a rather more chunky 7.6L/100km the powertrain was being pushed quite hard to see if the battery would derate So wind that back a bit for more orthodox running and even more so if you’re slow-poking around town spending more time in EV mode despite some quite provocative driving behaviour the 2025 MG ZS Excite Hybrid+ stoically resisted emptying its battery It got as low as one bar out of seven on the graphic – so around 15 per cent – but the e-motor still kept operating It was pretty obvious why the ZS would not fully derate The engine was ultra-enthusiastic in its efforts to recharge the battery At one moment the ZS was tootling along quietly in EV mode the next the engine was revving at substantial rpm its speed totally unrelated to what was going on with the driving The one circumstance in which the ZS really felt underwhelming was driving uphill with cruise control activated It did not like maintaining the set speed and would slow to the point the boot needed to be put into it It did indeed try and run as an EV as much as possible at slower speeds The strong initial acceleration provided by the system makes it very good for the cut and thrust of city and suburban driving The dynamic behaviour left some room for improvement the electric-assist steering effort is weighty for what is a commuter vehicle and the front-wheel drive was overwhelmed by hard acceleration It’s weird the ZS is a bit naff, because the MG4 electric car (our 2023 carsales car of the year) is a fun and cohesive little device to drive. So MG can do it if it wants to. One of the 2025 MG ZS Excite Hybrid+’s most important features is its interior space. It’s helped in this by measuring up at 4430mm long, 1818mm wide, 1635mm high and having a 2610mm wheelbase. It’s a big car for the compact SUV category. It’s particularly noticeable in the rear seat where a 180cm passenger sitting behind a 180cm driver will still have decent kneeroom and no challenge for headroom. Two passengers will be comfortable. Three will be a squeeze. The boot offers a decent 443 litres of luggage space, expanding to 1457L with the rear seats split-folded. There are even a couple of string nets for storage, a light, some hooks and a parcel shelf under which to hide your stuff. Some other aspects of the interior package are less impressive. The driver misses out on reach adjustment of the steering wheel. That is a rarity in new cars these days and does not help in finding the right driving position. There’s also a fair bit of interaction and poking at the infotainment screen to get things done, especially if you are using smartphone mirroring. Clambering in and out of CarPlay to perform some functions – including some air-con adjustments through the screen (not good in itself – where are the hard buttons?) – is a pain. In the second row there’s a real shortage of comfort features. No map pockets, a single USB port and tiny door bins. You do get adjustable air-con vents, but there are no cupholders and there’s no rear overhead light. Storage is certainly better in the front row. The 2025 MG ZS Excite Hybrid+ is a lot like a bunch of other new Chinese models arriving for sale in Australia. Looks good, specs up well, is appealing to the eye inside and out and spacious when you sit in the cabin. But the drive experience is mediocre and the (non-discounted regular) pricing is a challenge, especially when you consider this vehicle is now playing with the big boys in the compact SUV class. Look, it’s not bad and in some ways it’s pretty good, but all up it feels like the ZS would have been better if more attention had been paid to the detail. As MG itself says, it is in the process of transitioning from a ‘value’ brand in Australia to something pricier and more driven by product quality. The ZS Hybrid+ is one of the first steps along this path. Hopefully, MG strides out a bit more confidently in the future. 2025 MG ZS Excite Hybrid+ at a glance:Price: $33,990 (plus on-road costs)Available: NowPowertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electricOutput: 75kW/128Nm (electric motor: 100kW/250Nm)Combined output: 158kW/465NmTransmission: Three-speed automaticFuel: 4.7L/100km (ADR Combined)CO2: 110g/km (ADR Combined)Safety rating: Four stars (ANCAP 2024) The page you requested could not be found There could be an error in the URL you entered into your browser why not take a look at some of the other great sections on the Express website: If it’s still a mystery don’t hesitate to contact us here order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive Daily Express uses notifications to keep you updated or Create An Account Criterion’s disc of Robinson’s cult comedy offers the film in all its squalid beauty As part of an essay cycle that roves the cinema of the 1990s for vestiges of intelligent life Phillip Lopate identifies several attributes that typify the early style of writer turned directors: creatively interpolated exposition and skewedly erudite characters among them The blistering dyad of movies that British author Bruce Robinson produced with HandMade Films in the late ’80s proudly manifests all of these and adds one by way of aggressive underscoring: an acerbic worldview One can’t blame Lopate for overlooking this quality, as there’s nothing in the debuts of David Mamet or Paul Schrader on par with Robinson’s reckless piss and vinegar. House of Games and Blue Collar possess a crafty bleakness but a modern fable wherein the body of an advertising exec is commandeered by a sentient puss-dribbling shoulder boil suggests unprecedented vocational spite Robinson playfully uses film as a sensual extension of language (evens fans tend to praise his work as though it were illustrated dialogue); the lysergic scenarios and scene-nibbling actors make his wit appear so limitless that its targets are rendered defenseless Both Withnail and I and How to Get Ahead in Advertising are exemplars of the “hateful paean” tradition salvos of social disgust filled uneasily with self-deprecating doubt it’s only because de-glamorizing the boho-isms of the late ’60s has fallen in and out of style multiple times (our culture’s paradoxical reliance on—and lack of trust in—marketing Withnail and I is Robinson’s “Fear and Loathing Through the English Country,” a burnt-out ode to both town and city faux-artistry squalor and a stoner bromance par excellence two out-of-work thespians and flatmates (Richard E con a rich relative into offering the key to his cottage in Cumbria What follows is a frenzied fog of booze-fueled betrayals and comic misunderstandings that eventually reveal to the duo the toxic nature of their dynamic which is so desperately sought that lighter fluid is gleefully imbibed in one scene and an epic spliff rolled by a cockney cohort whose occasional illustrator/collaborator Ralph Steadman provided Withnail and I’s promotional art Robinson likens the demise of the Summer of Love to a bad drug trip maintaining an achily inebriated cadence with paranoid voiceovers and a giddily episodic structure The film’s environment doesn’t demystify the hippie myth so much as bathe it in fatigued rancor until it becomes sympathetically believable; the Hendrix tracks on the soundtrack were easy-FM picks far before 1986 and the afro-sporting Black he-man that appears in the bathtub during act three seems to have wandered in from an off-Broadway production of Hair But rather than epitomizing the countercultural lifestyle of the era in extremis as the two titular characters here patrol its antsy Grant’s celebrated performance as Withnail (pronounced “whith-null”) grows increasingly campy in the rearview; he savors pithily vulgar bon mots like “I’ve got a bastard behind the eyes” with enough oily dramaturgy to give you indigestion in the midst of all your side-splitting contortions it’s the frothy whirlpool of Withnail’s pouty egocentric over-reactions that draws us in as mercilessly as it does I unnamed protagonist and Robinson surrogate This masochistic stranglehold provides the film’s most cogent metaphor for the self-destructiveness that may have ushered us into the unhappy couple bicker about whose turn it is to fetch firewood upset the locals in a mostly fruitless search for non-fermented sustenance and find themselves on the wrong end of a stunned eel who’s been docilely occupying a gruff poacher’s trousers they nervously roil from the realization that the country is just as putrid and unwholesome as the city they abandoned an intermittently clever analogy for the unrecognized futility of the Age of Aquarius’s free love and corporeal experimentation The story almost fatally swerves into dated socio-political cartoonishness when the brilliantly flaming and ruddily corpulent Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths) arrives with plans to seduce the curly haired Inspired by the reportedly untoward advances he suffered from director Franco Zeffirelli as a young Robinson unfairly fashions Monty as an appalling symbol of effete The uncomfortable climax succeeds despite Monty’s unnecessary humiliation because of the homoerotic tension that punctures the surface of Withnail and I’s relationship a partnership that we accept at misshapen face value throughout Withnail’s charisma is such that we don’t even recognize him as a tragic hero until he hackishly spews a Hamlet soliloquy into the rain after I dumps him for the less risky compromises of adulthood and self-sufficient success The film’s satire at times collapses under the weight of its unkempt irascibility but the conviction of Robinson’s ire toward a generation led astray is nigh unparalleled in boomer culture Criterion’s UHD perfectly preserves the film’s sickly beauty You can make out every shade of the restless main characters’ raccoon eyes The squalor of 1960s urban Britain and filth of the countryside are equally vivid in their crusty unpleasantness and the generally dark lighting of the cinematography never evinces any crushing artifacts The mono soundtrack keeps dialogue and ambient sounds clear while threading in David Dundas and Rick Wentworth’s mockingly romantic score and the occasional needle drop of ’60s psychedelic music Criterion’s disc comes with two audio commentaries one a Covid-era livestream Q&A featuring director Bruce Robinson and the other from 2001 featuring actors Ralph Brown and Paul McGann Both are abundant in anecdotes and information about the film’s making and its enduring popularity Also included is a 1999 making-of documentary new and archival interviews with Robinson and Richard E and a gallery of reference photos by poster artist Ralph Steadman critic David Cairns lauds Robinson for make something as idiosyncratic as Withnail & I particularly singling out his use of long takes to develop the film’s knife-edge balance of black comedy and pathos Criterion’s disc of Bruce Robinson’s cult comedy offers the film in all its squalid Joseph Jon Lanthier is the director of What Should I Put in My Coffee His writing has also appeared in Bright Lights Film Journal Jake Cole is an Atlanta-based film critic whose work has appeared in MTV News and Little White Lies He is a member of the Atlanta Film Critics Circle and the Online Film Critics Society document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a061d96ea8d4dd10f271eb96fd3ecc58" );document.getElementById("facec42938").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment cricket and tennis thrive at Bruce Park in Frankston with a brand-new purpose-built facility for the 1,000 current participants across four clubs and the almost 19,000 locals residing within the local area the sporting pavilion at Bruce Park Reserve needs an uplift to accommodate growing participation especially for young girls and women taking up tennis football and cricket in rapidly increasing numbers The current pavilion is limiting clubs’ ability to provide a safe and fit-for-purpose facility for participation among girls with a lack of female-friendly change rooms that were built at a time with only male footballers in mind Through our partnerships with Federal and State Governments we can take things to a whole new level with a two-storey building catering to all three sports now and into the future female-friendly and all accessible pavilion This includes public amenities for other reserve users To deliver the $10 million redevelopment of the Bruce Park Pavilion equal funding contributions of $3.33 million from each level of government (Federal State and Council) is required. Council has already pledged its financial contribution in our Long Term Infrastructure Plan and awaits federal and state contributions Bruce Park Pavilion Redevelopment current view 1 Bruce Park Pavilion Redevelopment current view 3 Bruce Park Pavilion Redevelopment current view 6 Bruce Park Pavilion Redevelopment current view 8 Bruce Park Pavilion Redevelopment current view 10 Bruce Park Pavilion Redevelopment current view 12 Bruce Park Pavilion Redevelopment current view 15 Bruce Park Pavilion Redevelopment current view 16 If you need assistance or are having trouble with the website, please Contact Us      Imagine Frankston Engage Frankston! Frankston Arts Centre Frankston City Libraries Frankston Youth Services PARC - Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre Transparency Hub Frankston City Council respectfully acknowledges the traditional owners We pay respect to all Aboriginal community Elders who have resided in the area and have been an integral part of the history of the region               Frankston City Council is a member of the Welcoming Cities network a group of more than 80 Councils who are committed to an Australia where everyone can belong and participate in social 2024.From Hulu/Everett CollectionSave this storySaveSave this storySaveBruce Springsteen gets asked all the time when he plans to hang up his guitar ‘When are you going to retire?’” he said on Monday likening it to someone asking him: “Are you still alive?” Springsteen and the E Street Band are still hard-charging around the world more than a half century after their founding the 75-year-old rock icon has an unequivocal answer: Never we’re going to be rolling until the wheels come off,” he said The Boss made these remarks at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood on Monday after a screening of his documentary Road Diary an Emmy hopeful that’s streaming on Hulu and Disney+ Joined by his longtime E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg and the film’s Emmy- and Grammy-winning director The film intercuts the band’s recent global tour with flashes back to its legendary past It’s no coincidence that his 1984 hit “No Surrender” opened most shows Even Springsteen acknowledged how unusual it is that he and the E Street Band are still working “Everything deteriorates in the natural world.” 2024.From Hulu / Everett Collection.Weinberg has been playing with Springsteen since 1974 The only two longtime members of the band who aren’t still playing with them are organist Danny Federici and saxophonist Clarence Clemons The film explores how their influence on their bandmates continues even more than a decade after their deaths Springsteen says such bonds are typically unheard of in the music industry the test of time is simply too much to overcome the people you went to high school with—you are still with those people 50 years later doing the same job you go through everything with those people very unnatural thing for bands to stay together And particularly bands when you get to our vintage.” Springsteen then counted on his fingers the reasons that such musical acts do continue to tour “I mean there’s a lot of reasons bands stay together Our band still legitimately likes one another The film sort of encapsulates an amazing thing—the band remains as committed to its ideals as it was from the beginning.” The drummer persisted with the band even when he experienced grave medical concerns “You have to understand something about Max Weinberg,” Springsteen said how many operations have you had on your hands?” I’ve had eight operations on my hands,” the drummer answered “And he’s skipping over his 13-hour heart surgery,” Springsteen added The drummer kept that procedure hidden from his bandmates until he was on the mend I could have killed you doing one of the encores,’” Springsteen said he’s doing things that guy half his age would have a very difficult time doing.” You dig deeper into their souls and you bring more meaning to my music.’ And what’d you do Max went home and slept with his drum kit.” “It was my rock-and-roll bar mitzvah conversation,” Weinberg says in the lounge of a recording studio in New York I also had a lot of anxiety that I brought out in my drumming Weinberg said Springsteen made a cinematic reference to get him to see the beat of the song in a different way “He used a wonderful metaphor,” Weinberg says The character is on the horse going across Monument Valley.’ And I’ll never forget this: ‘You are the mountains You have to be the mountains.’ That conversation changed the course of my life I could have gone one way; I went the other way The drummer said he essentially relearned how to play “The expedient thing would have been just simply bringing in someone else ‘I know you can do this.’ And the strength of that conversation that I could rise to the occasion…I think that’s what Thom captured in this movie.” 2024.From Hulu/ Everett Collection.Zimny has been working with Springsteen since the 2001 special Live in New York City and directed the 2018 film Springsteen on Broadway among other projects “I have been blessed with a lot of time that people don’t think about me being there “There’s an energy there that you just want to be part of.” Weinberg recalled his earliest days playing with Springsteen when they were doing marathon shows in September 1974 how do you do this twice in a row?’ He said You give a thousand percent all the time.’ And that was really important to hear it just becomes a natural way of doing it.” How Miriam Adelson Went From Big MAGA Winner to Casino Loser in Trump’s First 100 Days Trump’s Lies Are Finally Catching Up to Him The UK Has Found Another Reason to Be Mad at Meghan Markle “It’s About Him”: How Trump Is Perverting the Presidential Photo Stream The Ballad of Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson The Truth Underlying Pete Hegseth’s Job Security Why Are Americans So Obsessed With Protein How Sebastian Stan Became Hollywood’s Most Daring Shape-Shifter Every Quentin Tarantino Movie Meet Elon Musk’s 14 Children and Their Mothers (Whom We Know of) From the Archive: Sinatra and the Mob FIND YOUR ONE NATION CANDIDATE, LOCAL POLLING BOOTHS AND HOW-TO-VOTE CARD HERE. Bruce Stevens is a proud Australian and staunch advocate for national sovereignty economic stability and common-sense policies With a background in security technology and a history of political engagement Bruce has stood for election in 2013 and 2019 determined to offer voters a true alternative to the failed policies of the major parties.Frustrated by the increasing influence of global organisations like the UN Bruce is committed to putting Australia first He strongly opposes Net Zero policies that drive up energy costs and believes in restoring manufacturing strengthening border security and ensuring government accountability.Bruce is passionate about reducing cost-of-living pressures making home ownership achievable for Australians by banning foreign ownership and removing excessive red tape stifling local businesses He firmly supports removing radical political agendas from schools ensuring education remains focused on skills knowledge and Australian values.“Australians are sick of career politicians who sell out our future to foreign interests and globalist agendas,” Bruce says “One Nation is the only party standing up for everyday Australians strong local industries and real national security.”Bruce is ready to be a strong voice for the people of Wills holding Canberra accountable and fighting for policies that protect Australia’s future The One Nation political party was launched on the 11th April 1997 at Ipswich by its founder 2/6-12 Boronia Rd Brisbane Airport QLD 4008 Bruce Springsteen has released the third song from his upcoming set, Tracks II: The Lost Albums The song "Faithless" comes from the unreleased album of the same name that was recorded between the end of the Devils & Dust tour in November 2005 and the arrival of We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions in April 2006 You can listen to "Faithless" below The song was slated for a soundtrack to a movie of the same name that was never released The film is called a "spiritual Western" in a press release announcing the song Faithless includes four instrumental pieces written for the movie READ MORE: Bruce Springsteen Live Albums Ranked The album was recorded before the film was even shot "This was a really unusual collection of songs," Springsteen notes "You could recognize details and maybe a character or two I just wrote atmospheric music that I thought would fit." While the album is mostly a solo LP recorded over two weeks in Florida — "Faithless" the song is a slow, acoustic number — E Street Band touring members Soozie Tyrell plus Patti Scialfa and producer Ron Aniello make appearances "Faithless" is the third song to be released from Tracks II: The Lost Albums The set includes seven unreleased LPs and over 80 songs recorded between 1983 and 2018. "Faithless" follows "Rain in the River" from Perfect World and "Blind Spot" from the Streets of Philadelphia Sessions You can see the track listing for The Lost Albums below 'Tracks II: The Lost Albums' Track Listing LA Garage Sessions ’831 You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone10 Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci Third cut from \"The Lost Albums\" comes from an unreleased soundtrack LP.\nRead More Bruce Springsteen has released the third song from his upcoming set, Tracks II: The Lost Albums The song "Faithless" comes from the unreleased album of the same name that was recorded between the end of the Devils & Dust tour in November 2005 and the arrival of We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions in April 2006 READ MORE: Bruce Springsteen Live Albums Ranked While the album is mostly a solo LP recorded over two weeks in Florida — "Faithless" the song is a slow, acoustic number — E Street Band touring members Soozie Tyrell The set includes seven unreleased LPs and over 80 songs recorded between 1983 and 2018. "Faithless" follows "Rain in the River" from Perfect World and "Blind Spot" from the Streets of Philadelphia Sessions Davis's arrival follows the resignation of Ambassador Bridget Brink Andrii Smyrnov is under investigation for allegedly legalizing illicit assets and accepting a bribe worth $100,000 Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said the Victory Day parade the Ukrainian Embassy said it regretted Fico’s accusations and urged Slovak officials to “more carefully study Trump also claimed a peace deal was "fairly close." The 41-year-old resident was injured and taken to the hospital Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the drones were shot down near the town of Podolsk EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius called for EU members to invest in Ukraine's domestic defense industry to increase the effectiveness and value of military aid provided to Ukraine "So this economic partnership deal in itself is a very important part of the broader security.. that fund will be successful if Ukraine is stable and peaceful future security guarantees," Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. agreed to a large oil production hike in June Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico condemned President Volodymyr Zelensky for warning "foreign delegations not to come" to Russia's Victory Day parade "Russia should know that we are expecting three million artillery shells from our allies Not only North Korea is capable of helping in the war we have allies who are helping Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelensky said Far-right Eurosceptic candidate George Simion is projected to win the first round of Romania’s presidential election on May 4 gaining nearly 40% of the votes with a majority of polling stations reporting Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during Moscow's Victory Day celebrations between May 7-10 and "sign a number of bilateral inter-governmental and inter-departmental documents" to strengthen Chinese-Russian relations  (Updated:  May 4, 2025 10:09 pm)KI InsightsUkraine calendar: Events to look out for this week by Tim ZadorozhnyyUS State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce held a press briefing on April 29 (Andrew Thomas / AFP via Getty Images)The United States remains committed to supporting peace efforts in Ukraine but will scale back its direct role as mediator State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on May 1 "He (U.S. President Donald Trump) knows also that there is another part of the world, a whole globe that needs some attention," Bruce told reporters "We are not going to fly around the world at the drop of a hat to mediate meetings; that is now between the two parties and now is the time that they need to present and develop concrete ideas about how this conflict is going to end." The remarks reflect a significant shift in Washington's approach after months of stalled diplomacy aimed at brokering a ceasefire in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump had previously warned that the U.S would withdraw from mediation efforts if no meaningful progress was made On April 18, Trump said "If one of the two parties makes it very difficult we're just going to say: 'you're foolish you're horrible people,' and we're just going to take a pass." "The Secretary has also made it very clear that while our style will change the methodology of how we contribute to this will change in that we will not be the mediators," Bruce added Vice President JD Vance echoed the shift on May 1, telling Fox News that the war in Ukraine is unlikely to end "any time soon." It is "going to be up to the Russians and Ukrainians now that each side knows what the other's terms for peace are It's going to be up to them to come to an agreement and stop this brutal brutal conflict," Vance told Fox News' Bret Baier intensified its diplomatic outreach earlier this year including negotiating proposals for a 30-day ceasefire and partial truces aimed at halting attacks on civilian energy infrastructure Moscow has rejected these initiatives, and Russian forces have intensified strikes across Ukraine. On April 24, Russia launched 215 missiles and drones, killing at least 12 civilians and injuring 87 in Kyiv alone President Trump criticized the attack as "not necessary" and "very bad timing," directly appealing to Russian President Vladimir Putin: "Vladimir, Stop!" Yet he refrained from issuing any consequences or condemnation Kyiv has accepted the U.S.-backed ceasefire plan and continues to demand an unconditional cessation of hostilities Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on May 1 that at least 72 senators are ready to vote for sweeping new sanctions and tariffs against Russia should Putin continue to avoid serious peace negotiations Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent he is pursuing studies in International Relations Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he will nominate Waltz to be "the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations". Continuing his post, Trump added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also serve as national security adviser in the meantime. It comes hours after reports said Waltz would step down from his role as national security adviser. The 'Trump effect' and other things to watch for as Canada votesThe BBC's Lyse Doucet breaks down the key issues weighing on voters' minds as Canadians cast their ballots. Plumes of smoke tower over New Jersey town as wildfire rages onAuthorities have charged a 19-year-old with arson for allegedly starting the fire, which has burned more than 15,000 acres. Why RFK Jr wants American cereal to be more CanadianThe US health secretary on Tuesday announced the country would ban eight commonly used artificial food dyes, some found in breakfast cereals. BBC reporter asks Trump how Canada's election could influence tariffsThe president avoided predicting who could win the election, but said the US does not need Canada's cars, energy or lumber. Residents flee as wildfire burns in New JerseyMandatory evacuation orders were issued and major highways in the path of the fire shut down as it spread. 'We are not Americans' - but what does it mean to be Canadian?The BBC asked Canadian voters across the country what makes them different from their southern neighbours. Watch: Moment woman, children narrowly escape manhole explosionOfficials said there were no injuries reported but that high levels of carbon monoxide were discovered in nearby buildings. 'He lived the faith' - How American Catholics remember Pope FrancisThe pontiff made several visits to North America, including to Washington DC in 2015 when he visited the White House and the US Capitol. Watch: Moment Delta plane engine catches firePassengers have been forced to evacuate a Delta plane after an engine caught fire while on the tarmac at Orlando International Airport in Florida. Watch: Windows smashed and homes pockmarked by giant hail in NebraskaFootage captures large hailstones breaking several building and car windows in Fremont, Nebraska. 'We barricaded both doors': Fear and chaos at Florida State UniversityAs alarms blared across campus, students hid under tables and barricaded themselves in classrooms. Watch: Key moments from Canada's general election debateFour party leaders faced off on Donald Trump, tariffs and security in the only English debate before Election Day. Watch: Michigan town forms human chain to move 9,100 books for shopCommunity members in the small town of Chelsea passed the books one-by-one to the bookstore's new location a block away. Watch: Biden attacks Trump in first speech since leaving White HouseThe former US president says his successor has "done so much damage and so much destruction" in his first days in office. Protester Tasered at Marjorie Taylor Greene town hallSix protesters were removed by police officers after the Georgia congresswoman took the stage. Sydney Kings' Shaun Bruce will make a highly anticipated return to the Wellington Saints for the 2025 season stepping in to strengthen the backcourt while Shea Ili remains in Australia for the NBL post-season who previously suited up for the Saints in 2018 having played more than 300 NBL games and winning two championships with the Kings His leadership and court vision will be crucial as the Saints look to start the season strong in the absence of Ili who is still competing in the Australian league GOORJIAN ADDS BOGUT TO COACHING STAFF Saints general manager Jordan Mills says the club welcomes Bruce back with open arms “We're super grateful that our former import from 2018 Shaun Bruce has answered our SOS for a stint back in Wellington," said Mills via the Saints website "A proven leader and championship winner with the Sydney Kings Brucey will bring invaluable experience and skill to help us get some wins early on "Someone I personally had the pleasure of playing with—a great player but an even better person King #209 Bruce has solidified himself as one of the most reliable playmakers in the Australian NBL playing a key role in helping the Hoops Capital club win back-to-back championships His return to the Saints comes at a crucial time as they look to establish momentum early in the season before Ili’s return Bruce himself is eager to hit the ground running “It’s a huge honour to be back in Wellington and representing the Saints," Bruce said HOOPS CAPITAL'S OFF-SEASON NEWS HUB "I have real fond memories of the last time I was here and I’m excited to get to work with Aaron and all the fellas this weekend.” His familiarity with the club and his leadership on and off the court will be invaluable as the Saints navigate the early stages of the season With a strong roster shaping up and the addition of Bruce the Saints remain firmly in the hunt for another championship run in 2025 Saints fans can catch Bruce in action as he suits up this weekend looking to make an immediate impact in his return to the capital Stay up to date with all of Hoops Capital's off-season news here. Play Duration: 19 minutes 22 seconds19m Brought to you by There's been a lot of attention on who is losing out from Trump's tariffs, but who is set to benefit - even get rich - from them? And why is it that the Democrats remain seemingly ineffective while people are protesting Trump's policies across America?  U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria(Reuters: Carlos Barria) Published: 1h agoMon 5 May 2025 at 12:00pm Download the ABC listen app to hear more of your favourite podcasts one that invariably looks up from the grit of the earth touched a generation and provided them with a rock star to honestly believe in Springsteen’s trajectory has only headed upwards since brandishing a canon of work that few can stand up to there are a few idols that are far more worthy of your praise Over the years, Springsteen has taken the time to share his love for certain artists. Whether it was Paul McCartney and The Beatles or his teenage icon Bob Dylan Springsteen has often been found to dish out acclaim and plaudits like a well-functioning sprinkler system Springsteen has been happy to wear his influences on his sleeve But while he’s got a lot of love for various rock and roll stars only one man truly changed his life: Elvis Presley Some of the other names mentioned above have certainly given colour to Springsteen’s life. Some of them even provided him with a way of expressing himself more succinctly than ever, with The Boss having covered so many of Dylan’s songs The Beatles provided a sense of belonging to Springsteen that he never felt possible and he has routinely cited Roy Orbison as the angel of his inner monologue during a conversation with Desert Island Discs the singer-songwriter credits Elvis Presley and his most famous song as a distinctive moment in which his life changed forever The singer told the famed BBC Radio show that as a child growing up in New Jersey Elvis’ 1956 song ‘Hound Dog’ was a significant turning point it just shot straight through to my brain,” he recalled that there was more to life than what I’d been living and there’d been a vision laid out before me The obsession with Presley didn’t end there for Springsteen as he followed The King throughout the rest of his career Springsteen and bandmate Stevie Van Zandt got together to see him perform live “It was not a good night.” To come to terms with his sadness he supposedly went home and wrote a song titled ‘Fire,’ which he intended to give to Presley Presley passed away before the demo reached him so Springsteen gave the song to rockabilly singer Robert Gordon Springsteen would take things a little further as he attempted to break into Graceland Springsteen shared the story at one of his concerts back in 1985: “I remember we got out of the cab and we stood there in front of those gates with the big guitar players on ’em and I figured that Elvis has gotta be up readin’ or somethin’ Most would have given up their pursuit at this point however Springsteen had a sense of steely determination that was unshakable Springsteen tried to bluster his way through the problems: “I got to the front door and guards came out of the woods and asked me what I wanted I started to tell ’em that I was a guitar player and that I had my own band And I even told ’em I had my picture on the cover of Time and Newsweek,” he shared “I had to pull out all the stops to try to make an impression and then he took me by the arm and put me back out on the street with Steve.” Sparks are all you need to start a fire if youbhave enough fuel and the New Jersey man certainly had a lot of that to burn he just need to the lick of flame from a single icon to get things moving his songwriting prowess and the swashbuckling style he would bring to every stage he has ever graced can all be traced back to this one song the track that changed Bruce Springsteen’s life forever; ‘Hound Dog’ by Elvis Presley The Federal Government is investing a further $300 million into early works on the Bruce Highway as the first set of safety upgrades begin on the $9 billion Bruce Highway Safety Package the Federal and State Governments committed $7.2 billion and $1.8 billion respectively to fix the major Queensland Highway and the new investment will support early works and planning This includes 16 new projects between Gympie and Innisfail including wide centre line treatments between Rungoo and Mourilyan overtaking lanes between Ayr and Brandon and a new heavy vehicle rest area in Gin Gin as well as pavement and culvert strengthening A further seven projects will progress preconstruction and design activities for future safety works The Federal Government has also announced that it will provide an additional $200 million to ensure the full delivery of the Rockhampton Ring Road taking the its total contribution to almost $1.4 billion Rockhampton Ring Road is a transformative project for Central Queensland and the additional contribution will ensure the necessary funds are available to deliver the project improve road safety and flood resilience and open up new travel routes to key leisure The Federal Government also announced the release of federal funding to kick off work on essential projects in the region Projects in the Bruce Highway early works package have been identified by investment priorities from the Bruce Highway 15-year Vision and Action Plans Full details of the overall $9 billion package will be developed in consultation between the Federal and State governments and the Bruce Highway Advisory Council providing advice said Queenslanders deserve a long-term plan for essential infrastructure and the Federal Government is delivering that certainty as it builds Australia’s future which is why we’re coming together with the Queensland Government to get it done “These projects are in high-risk areas north of Gympie where conditions are poor and safety upgrades will go a long way.”  Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads said Queensland deserves better than a second-class highway “That is why we are focused on delivering a safer and more reliable Bruce.”  Mr Mickelberg said additional funding from the Federal Government towards the Bruce Highway is welcomed  “We are getting to work with a focus on improving wide centreline treatment intersection upgrades and multi-use rest areas “The Bruce Highway is the spine of Queensland’s road network and we have worked with the Federal Government to unlock funding and fast-track key safety improvements on priority sections of the highway,” he said “Our newly formed Bruce Highway Advisory Council will continue to play a crucial role in advising the Queensland Government on investment priority and sequencing of key upgrades along the Bruce Highway.”  Early Works Package – Construction $200 million:  For more information on the Bruce Highway Safety Package, visit: investment.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/bruce-highway-upgrade-safety-package-fact-sheet.pdf  Melbourne Airport has completed its largest airfield expansion in nearly a decade unveiling a new 800-metre taxiway that paves the.. Detailed designs for two major infrastructure upgrades near Broadford have been released giving engineers and contractors a clearer view of.. The Women in Industry Awards are a platform to recognise and celebrate the achievements of women across a diverse range.. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media Iron Maiden frontman offers advice to young musicians looking to make their mark Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson says self-belief is one of the most important attributes young musicians need if they are going to make their mark The beloved metal icon gives some sage advice to new up-and-coming artists in an interview with the Musicians Institute says all the skill in the world won't mean a thing if you don't believe in yourself And he warns that everyone – even other musicians – will try stand in the way of your success He says: "One of the most important things is self-belief "I've played with people who have been astonishing musicians but were forever doomed to be playing in their bedroom because they had no self-belief because they did not go out there and put themselves out there and perform so the people notice them "If you're the greatest guitar player in the world and you sit in the middle of a tent in the Sahara Desert and other musicians will try and put you down as well because they're all trying to step on top of you." Sign up below to get the latest from Metal Hammer While encouraging musicians to have confidence Dickinson stresses that it's important not to let that turn into arrogance but if you make the performance all about yourself "What you need to do is have the self-belief to use whatever talent it is you have to tell a story to have some feeling inside that you can express that's real and authentic and then people will listen because it resonates with them Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016 Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016 but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.  “This is my first band since Deep Purple It’s out of this world – I’m back in a rock band Led Zeppelin and a modern blues icon came together to form Black Country Communion “It was like a renewal or a reawakening”: Dave Grohl was struggling after Kurt Cobain’s death Then he wrote This Is A Call and everything changed I’m going to join them”: The man who was asked to replace James Hetfield as singer in Metallica – and turned it down Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker 31 minsMay 5Featured ShowsThe Tony AwardsAboutEila & Bruce bring you the first installment of their Tony deep dive They are joined by expert Matt Stashin and share who will win and who they want to win in the following categories: Best Choreography; Best Sound Design of a Play; Best Orchestrations; Featured Actor in a Play; and Featured Actor in a Musical Make sure to check out Eila's book, "The Tony Awards", and all her other amazing books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/43WMu5Y⁠⁠⁠⁠. © Broadway Podcast Network Journalist argues that Justice Michael Lee should have found an ‘intentional rape’ had taken place Justice Michael Lee relied on an “arguably archaic” definition of consent when he found Bruce Lehrmann was “reckless in his indifference” to Brittany Higgins’ consent Lisa Wilkinson has argued in fresh submissions in the Lehrmann defamation appeal Read moreIn the judgement Lee found that Lehrmann raped Higgins in Parliament House in 2019 On Monday Wilkinson and her former employer filed their submissions separately in response to Lehrmann’s appeal Wilkinson argued in documents filed to the federal court that Lee should have found that “an intentional rape” had taken place instead of finding that there was no evidence Lehrmann knew that Higgins did not consent to the sexual activity “The primary judge proceeded on a legalistic and arguably archaic understanding of knowledge of consent given that he was not satisfied that Ms Higgins verbally or physically resisted,” Wilkinson argued Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter “Having found Ms Higgins was significantly intoxicated that the appellant was aware of her significant intoxication and that at the time of sexual intercourse Ms Higgins was passive ‘like a log’ his Honour should have found that the appellant had knowledge of Ms Higgins’ lack of consent at the time of intercourse.” Lee said he was “satisfied a rape took place” but he did not accept it had been established that Higgins was crying and telling Lehrmann to stop at least half a dozen times have challenged various findings made by Lee but found Wilkinson and Network Ten failed to establish the qualified privilege defence – that is that the information broadcast was in the public interest and that they acted reasonably in airing the claims Wilkinson said although Lee concluded Lehrmann had no belief either way of Higgins’ consent the ordinary person would consider that meant he had intentionally committed rape “It was therefore unnecessary for the primary judge to decide the defence on the alternative basis of recklessness – on the facts found by [Justice Lee] an intentional rape had been proved by the respondents in so far as that word One of Lehrmann’s four appeal grounds is that he was denied procedural fairness because the case which was found to be true was not put to him in cross-examination “The rape described graphically by Ms Higgins included allegations of violence, an assault, [that she] called out ‘no’ on multiple occasions and numerous references to an assault and trauma,” Lehrmann’s appeal lawyer, Zali Burrows Burrows said Higgins told The Project the incident involved “forceful sexual intercourse” but the case found by Lee “involved no force” Wilkinson submitted this argument is misconceived because at trial Lehrmann’s lawyers said it was unfair to ask him about consent because he had denied sexual intercourse Sign up to Afternoon Update: Election 2025 Free daily newsletterOur Australian afternoon update breaks down the key election campaign stories of the day telling you what’s happening and why it matters “Given his emphatic denials of sexual intercourse or any similar intimate interaction whatsoever there was no lack of fairness in not putting to Mr Lehrmann that he was reckless to Ms Higgins’ consent when he had had sexual intercourse with her,” the submission said “At trial Mr Lehrmann’s lawyers were of the view that it was unfair to ask him about consent because he had denied sexual intercourse.” Lehrmann also argued the definition of rape was misconstrued by Lee and was not the ordinary person’s understanding of the word including the rape that Lee found to involve non-consensual sexual intercourse “The submission that there is non-violent rape involving non-consensual sexual intercourse or that the primary judge found a non-violent rape is misconceived and should be rejected outright,” Wilkinson said that it was open to Lee to simply say “I just do not know” who to believe Lehrmann said Lee did not believe the account of either Lehrmann or Higgins “This argument is based on adverse credit findings Lee made against both Higgins and Lehrmann because he did not think they had been entirely truthful,” Lehrmann’s appeal document said “His Honour did not believe the account of either Mr Lehrmann or Ms Higgins,” Lehrmann said Wilkinson responded that it was open to Lee to accept the part of Higgins’ evidence that he found credible “and more significantly was directly corroborated by the documented records of contemporaneous complaint”.