Latest news with #FriendsoftheABC
The Age
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Frequent flyer Kim Williams racks up $50,000 travel budget
ABC chair Kim Williams has been busy. Very busy. Since ascending to the job last year, Williams has become the kind of bloke who'd talk to a brick wall, and his very serious thoughts have graced numerous writers' festivals, annual orations, Friends of the ABC wine and cheese nights, and speeches at the National Press Club, the Melbourne Press Club, the State Library of Victoria, the General Sir John Monash Oration, the Lowy Institute Media Lecture, the DG8 Summit, and the pages of many a newspaper article. On top of that, he's had to whip the public broadcaster into shape and press the flesh at its bureaux around the country. All that moving and shaking comes with a hefty travel bill. According to documents released under freedom of information, taxpayers stumped up $55,087 for Williams' travel expenses between last March, when he started the job, and May. The bulk of that, $48,338.50, came from airfares, while $6749 was spent on car travel. Loading 'The ABC chair receives remuneration and expenses for their service on the ABC board, including allowances for travel,' a spokesperson for Aunty told us. 'Rates are set by the Remuneration Tribunal and are reviewed each year.' Williams takes home a salary of a little over $200,000 – a rather modest return for a senior public servant. And his expenses, as far as we are aware, don't include thousands spent on luxury car hire like his predecessor Ita Buttrose, who billed the public, including for trips to Beppi's in Darlinghurst. Perhaps that might make a line in Buttrose's new memoir, set to drop in October, which we are awaiting with bated breath.
Sydney Morning Herald
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Frequent flyer Kim Williams racks up $50,000 travel budget
ABC chair Kim Williams has been busy. Very busy. Since ascending to the job last year, Williams has become the kind of bloke who'd talk to a brick wall, and his very serious thoughts have graced numerous writers' festivals, annual orations, Friends of the ABC wine and cheese nights, and speeches at the National Press Club, the Melbourne Press Club, the State Library of Victoria, the General Sir John Monash Oration, the Lowy Institute Media Lecture, the DG8 Summit, and the pages of many a newspaper article. On top of that, he's had to whip the public broadcaster into shape and press the flesh at its bureaux around the country. All that moving and shaking comes with a hefty travel bill. According to documents released under freedom of information, taxpayers stumped up $55,087 for Williams' travel expenses between last March, when he started the job, and May. The bulk of that, $48,338.50, came from airfares, while $6749 was spent on car travel. Loading 'The ABC chair receives remuneration and expenses for their service on the ABC board, including allowances for travel,' a spokesperson for Aunty told us. 'Rates are set by the Remuneration Tribunal and are reviewed each year.' Williams takes home a salary of a little over $200,000 – a rather modest return for a senior public servant. And his expenses, as far as we are aware, don't include thousands spent on luxury car hire like his predecessor Ita Buttrose, who billed the public, including for trips to Beppi's in Darlinghurst. Perhaps that might make a line in Buttrose's new memoir, set to drop in October, which we are awaiting with bated breath.
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Trump doesn't know if he's the hero or villain in 'Les Mis.' How ironic.
Trump doesn't know if he's the hero or villain in 'Les Mis.' How ironic. | Opinion Sending the military in to quell protests is more aligned with the French monarchy than the revolutionaries. Show Caption Hide Caption Trump met with boos, cheers before Les Misérables at Kennedy Center President Donald Trump attended "Les Miserables" at the Kennedy Center after overhauling its leadership and naming himself chairman. On June 11, President Donald Trump appeared at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the opening night of 'Les Misérables.' If you're at all familiar with the musical, you'll understand why that's so ironic. Trump staged a hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center back in February, changing up the board and making himself chairman of the iconic performing arts venue. It led several artists to cancel performances. According to The New York Times, some 'Les Misérables' cast members had considered boycotting the Wednesday performance that kicked off the summer 2025 season. The president, oblivious as always, says the show is 'great.' Ever the musical theater fan, he has used one of the most recognizable songs from 'Les Mis' at multiple rallies over the years. You know, the one the cast sings on the eve of revolting against the monarchy? Surely the man who has inspired nationwide 'No Kings Day' protests understands how laughable that is. Does Trump identify with hero or villain of 'Les Mis'? He doesn't know. If you're unfamiliar with the musical, let me give you a rundown. Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, the story follows Jean Valjean after he leaves prison for stealing a loaf of bread for his starving relatives. After an interaction with a priest, he is inspired to live a better life, which includes adopting and raising a child named Cosette after her mother dies. The musical is set during a French revolution that culminates in the 1832 June Rebellion, where a group of student revolutionaries known as the Friends of the ABC try to lead the city into revolt. These are the students Republican leaders would want to deport. Opinion: Trump supporters, this is what you're cheering as his deportation scheme unfolds Apparently, despite his love of the musical, Trump doesn't know if he's the hero or villain of this story. He told The Washington Post he wasn't sure if he identified more with Valjean or Javert, the prison guard turned inspector who is obsessed with bringing Valjean to justice. It's an ironically indecisive thing to say, considering he has sent military troops to Los Angeles to quell protests against raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and has spent much of the past few months raging against students protesting for Palestine. It's hard to picture Trump as the hero of this story. That would require him learning how to be a more caring person over time. Given his rhetoric on immigrants, trans people and basically anyone who disagrees with him, I doubt he's experienced that kind of transformation. Imagine treating immigrants like they stole bread Art has always been part of protest and resistance. The theater is no exception. These forms of expression can also be used as propaganda. With Trump's declaration that the Kennedy Center's "woke" programming is done for, it seems that only tolerable art will make it through the vetting process. Somehow, "Les Mis" slipped through the cracks, likely because Trump actually likes the musical. Opinion: I told you GOP would come for marriage. Southern Baptists just proved my point. If Trump actually paid attention to the songs and themes of "Les Mis," maybe he'd realize that his desire to lay down the law is more aligned with Javert than anyone else in the show. Maybe he'd realize that sending the military to quell protests is more aligned with the actions of the French monarchy than those of the revolutionaries. Maybe he'd realize that he has more in common with the monarchy than the people. Probably not. But maybe. Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno
Perth Now
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Blow by blow: the bitter battle for the seat of Kooyong
KEY MOMENTS OF THE KOOYONG CAMPAIGN: * March 15: Teal independent Monique Ryan accused of shouting at young Liberal volunteers, who she claimed were physically aggressive towards her * March 24: Dr Ryan's husband Peter Jordan apologises after being filmed removing a sign promoting Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer. Liberals capitalise with addition to corflutes that reads "Monique, please DO NOT take this sign" * April 2: Ms Hamer pulls out of a candidates forum at short notice to participate in a mass phone call to Kooyong residents with shadow treasurer Angus Taylor * April 7: Ms Hamer admits she owns apartments in London and Canberra after repeatedly pitching herself as a struggling renter, sparking "landlord of the year 2025" posters. She later tells reporters it's "hard to be a landlord in Victoria" * April 17: Ms Hamer confirms she is among the listed beneficiaries of a $20 million trust fund and accuses Dr Ryan's volunteers of putting together a "dirt file" on her * April 19: A surgeon apologises after a video shows him stomping on a corflute for Dr Ryan and telling viewers to "bury the body under concrete" * April 24: A candidates forum at a local library, hosted by Friends of the ABC, is gatecrashed by three men from a "nationalist organisation for the preservation of Western culture and identity" * April 28: Footage emerges of two people in campaign T-shirts for Dr Ryan saying the leader of the Hubei Association, accused of working with a department of the Chinese Communist Party's central committee, "required" them to vote for the teal MP. The electoral commission opens a review * April 29: A "sign war" erupts outside a pre-poll site in Kew, with the Liberals ordered by the local council to follow a permit directive limiting candidates to one each * April 30: Boroondara council officers seize dozens of the Liberal signs after the party threatens legal action
ABC News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Kooyong MP denounces gatecrashers who interrupted election forum
Kooyong MP Monique Ryan has condemned gatecrashers who interrupted an election forum on Wednesday night, dubbing them "right-wing bullies" The community event, convened by Friends of the ABC, was attended by Ms Ryan alongside Greens candidate Jackie Carter and Labor candidate Clive Crosby at a local library. A Friends of the ABC spokesperson said gatecrashers entered the room part way through the event, with one man loudly interrupting the speakers with claims about crime and immigration. "He was impossible to ignore, because he was certainly yelling, and there was no stopping him," the spokesperson said. "People were very worried." The video was shared on social media by a group labelling itself as an 'Australian nationalist organisation", showing the three men shouting, and one female member of the audience throwing a punch at one of the men. Ms Ryan said the woman was distressed. "She went over to him and she actually sort of threw a punch at him," Ms Ryan said. "She was a little lady, pretty frail, and he was not a small man, and I was really concerned about that, and the potential for that to escalate." She said she asked one of the other candidates to call the police while audience members and organisers managed to move the men out of the room. She said it was concerning that there seemed to be an increasing amount disruption of community events. It comes after a disruption at a forum in Kooyong on Tuesday night, where a man challenged Ms Ryan
