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The Age
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Age
Political enemies join parliament's first-day love-in. Day two will be a different story
But then, the arcane rituals of the first day of a new parliament are crafted to reassure Australia's people that even in the most turbulent world, there remains, at least for a day, respectful homage to democracy stretching back through centuries. There was the Usher of the Black Rod marching to the House of Representatives – the lower house – to announce that the MPs were required by the governor-general's representative to attend the Senate – the upper house – for the official opening. It's a tradition founded in gore. In 1642, King Charles I invaded the British House of Commons, took the Speaker's chair and demanded the surrender of five MPs. The House of Commons, deeply unimpressed, regarded it as a breach of its rights. Charles later had his head removed. No sovereign, or their vice-regal representative, has since opened a parliament by entering the lower (or people's) house, known in Australia as the House of Representatives. Loading Lord only knows what the current King Charles might make of the protest on Tuesday, by Bob Katter, the idiosyncratic Queenslander who, with 32 years under his hat as an MP, rejoices in the title of father of the house. Katter downright refused to swear allegiance to Charles III, his heirs and successors. 'No,' said Katter, 'I swear allegiance to the Australian people.' The presence of Australia's oldest peoples in central roles at the parliamentary opening – the Welcome to Country, the smoking ceremony and a performance of traditional dance – was the most striking intimation of an evolving Australian democracy. When the first Parliament House in Canberra opened in May, 1927, two roughly attired elders, Jimmy Clements and John Noble, were the only Aboriginal people in attendance. Police took exception and told Clements to clear off. The crowd took the side of the old Aboriginal man and he won a spot on the parliamentary steps. The first Welcome to Country for a new federal parliament, however, took place only 17 years ago, on February 12, 2008, amid much controversy. The following day, a group of Coalition MPs boycotted then-prime minister Kevin Rudd's apology to Australia's Indigenous people, either walking out of the speech or not attending at all. They were Peter Dutton, Don Randall, Luke Simpkins, Sophie Mirabella, Dennis Jensen, Wilson Tuckey, Alby Schultz and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells. None of these people remain in today's parliament. Dutton, who became the leader of the Coalition and embraced opposition to the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to parliament, lost his seat of Dickson in May's federal election. His successor as opposition leader, Ley, took a nuanced response to Aunty Violet's address. 'May it set the tone as we recommit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunities for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country,' she said. The warmth of the day's events was captured on the floor of the Senate, when two politicians who use wheelchairs to get around were captured embracing by this masthead's photographer, Dominic Lorrimer. Labor's Ali France, who replaced Dutton in the Queensland seat of Dickson, lost a leg in an accident and often uses a motorised chair. The Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has cerebral palsy. Politics wafted away as they hugged. The tumultuous world beyond couldn't be denied, however. Loading A crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on the lawns outside, demanding an end to Israel's war on Gaza. The Albanese government decided it was time to sign a statement formally calling for an end to the war, too, and condemning the 'drip-feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children'. Ley dodged questions on whether she would support the statement. Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash was more direct. 'It is disappointing that once again the Albanese government is supporting a statement attacking Israel,' Cash declared. Politics, we can be assured, will recommence in short order, and Tuesday's dawn church service will be a memory. Lest we forget too readily, here are parts of the readings given by the leaders.
Sydney Morning Herald
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Political enemies join parliament's first-day love-in. Day two will be a different story
But then, the arcane rituals of the first day of a new parliament are crafted to reassure Australia's people that even in the most turbulent world, there remains, at least for a day, respectful homage to democracy stretching back through centuries. There was the Usher of the Black Rod marching to the House of Representatives – the lower house – to announce that the MPs were required by the governor-general's representative to attend the Senate – the upper house – for the official opening. It's a tradition founded in gore. In 1642, King Charles I invaded the British House of Commons, took the Speaker's chair and demanded the surrender of five MPs. The House of Commons, deeply unimpressed, regarded it as a breach of its rights. Charles later had his head removed. No sovereign, or their vice-regal representative, has since opened a parliament by entering the lower (or people's) house, known in Australia as the House of Representatives. Loading Lord only knows what the current King Charles might make of the protest on Tuesday, by Bob Katter, the idiosyncratic Queenslander who, with 32 years under his hat as an MP, rejoices in the title of father of the house. Katter downright refused to swear allegiance to Charles III, his heirs and successors. 'No,' said Katter, 'I swear allegiance to the Australian people.' The presence of Australia's oldest peoples in central roles at the parliamentary opening – the Welcome to Country, the smoking ceremony and a performance of traditional dance – was the most striking intimation of an evolving Australian democracy. When the first Parliament House in Canberra opened in May, 1927, two roughly attired elders, Jimmy Clements and John Noble, were the only Aboriginal people in attendance. Police took exception and told Clements to clear off. The crowd took the side of the old Aboriginal man and he won a spot on the parliamentary steps. The first Welcome to Country for a new federal parliament, however, took place only 17 years ago, on February 12, 2008, amid much controversy. The following day, a group of Coalition MPs boycotted then-prime minister Kevin Rudd's apology to Australia's Indigenous people, either walking out of the speech or not attending at all. They were Peter Dutton, Don Randall, Luke Simpkins, Sophie Mirabella, Dennis Jensen, Wilson Tuckey, Alby Schultz and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells. None of these people remain in today's parliament. Dutton, who became the leader of the Coalition and embraced opposition to the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to parliament, lost his seat of Dickson in May's federal election. His successor as opposition leader, Ley, took a nuanced response to Aunty Violet's address. 'May it set the tone as we recommit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunities for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country,' she said. The warmth of the day's events was captured on the floor of the Senate, when two politicians who use wheelchairs to get around were captured embracing by this masthead's photographer, Dominic Lorrimer. Labor's Ali France, who replaced Dutton in the Queensland seat of Dickson, lost a leg in an accident and often uses a motorised chair. The Greens senator Jordon Steele-John has cerebral palsy. Politics wafted away as they hugged. The tumultuous world beyond couldn't be denied, however. Loading A crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on the lawns outside, demanding an end to Israel's war on Gaza. The Albanese government decided it was time to sign a statement formally calling for an end to the war, too, and condemning the 'drip-feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children'. Ley dodged questions on whether she would support the statement. Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash was more direct. 'It is disappointing that once again the Albanese government is supporting a statement attacking Israel,' Cash declared. Politics, we can be assured, will recommence in short order, and Tuesday's dawn church service will be a memory. Lest we forget too readily, here are parts of the readings given by the leaders.
Courier-Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Leap To Fame races to Inter Dominion glory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. CHAMPION rival driver Luke McCarthy hailed Leap To Fame the greatest pacer he had seen after the Queensland champion romped his way to a second record-breaking Inter Dominion pacing final win at Albion Park on Saturday night. In front of a packed and one-eyed local crowd, Leap To Fame romped away for his 22nd successive win at his home track and his 56th win from just 69 lifetime starts. The $540,000 first prize also made him the all-time richest pacer in this part of the world with $4,630,884 – surpassing another great Queenslander, Blacks A Fake's $4,575,438 stakes tally. McCarthy, who finished fourth on defending Inter Dominion champion Don Hugo, said: 'He's amazing. He's not just the greatest stayer we've seen, he's the best horse full stop.' • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Leap To Fame has now contested seven Inter Dominion races, five heats and two finals, and won them all. He started the shortest priced favourite ($1.22) since the Inter Dominion began in 1936 and, after being crossed at the start, worked around to take the lead and was never in danger. 'This time it's more of a relief, the expectation was just so huge,' trainer-driver Grant Dixon said. 'We had a little scare during the week. He bucked and knocked his leg, which he's never done, but thankfully it wasn't anything serious.' Leap To Fame became just the eighth pacer to win multiple Inter Dominion finals and owners Kevin and Kay Seymour hinted strongly at chasing a third crown, which only three other pacers have done (Blacks A Fake, Im Themightyquinn and Our Sir Vancelot). 'The big studs have been coming hard at us to retire him, but we'll hold off for at least another year,' Kevin Seymour said. 'We've been in the game over 50 years and this is the horse we've dreamt of getting … Kay won't let me retire him, at least not for a while yet. 'It's important everyone understands the huge role Grant and Trista Dixon have played in making this horse.' In typical Seymour fashion, he said the winning trophy would go to Albion Park track photographer, Dan Costello, who is facing a huge battle with cancer. 'Dan's one of nature's gentlemen and is going through a really hard time. I'd love him to have the trophy and Kay and I will donate $100,000 of the prize money towards Dan's medical bills,' he said. Leap To Fame will have a break before aiming at another first, victory in NZ's most iconic race of any code, the NZ Cup at Addington in Christchurch in November. Earlier, star Victorian trotter Arcee Phoenix smashed through the $1 million prize money barrier with an emotion-charged $500,000 Inter Dominion trotting final win. Arcee Phoenix wins the Inter Dominion Trotting Grand Final Picture: Dan Costello Trainer-driver Chris Svanosio praised his late father-in-law, Dr Alistair McLean, for his guidance with Arcee Phoenix as a talented but raw youngster. 'Without him, this horse may well not have raced at all and now he's here as a six-year-old winning the Inter Dominion,' Svanosio said. 'There's lots of feelings at the moments, emotional, excitement and just relief after such a big build-up … we did it.' Arcee Phoenix became just the fifth Aussie-trained trotter to bank over a million with first prize taking him to $1,016,280. · Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp. PHOTOS: Dan Costello Originally published as Superstar pacer Leap To Fame streaks to effortless Inter Dominion victory
Herald Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Herald Sun
Leap To Fame races to Inter Dominion glory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. CHAMPION rival driver Luke McCarthy hailed Leap To Fame the greatest pacer he had seen after the Queensland champion romped his way to a second record-breaking Inter Dominion pacing final win at Albion Park on Saturday night. In front of a packed and one-eyed local crowd, Leap To Fame romped away for his 22nd successive win at his home track and his 56th win from just 69 lifetime starts. The $540,000 first prize also made him the all-time richest pacer in this part of the world with $4,630,884 – surpassing another great Queenslander, Blacks A Fake's $4,575,438 stakes tally. McCarthy, who finished fourth on defending Inter Dominion champion Don Hugo, said: 'He's amazing. He's not just the greatest stayer we've seen, he's the best horse full stop.' • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Leap To Fame has now contested seven Inter Dominion races, five heats and two finals, and won them all. He started the shortest priced favourite ($1.22) since the Inter Dominion began in 1936 and, after being crossed at the start, worked around to take the lead and was never in danger. 'This time it's more of a relief, the expectation was just so huge,' trainer-driver Grant Dixon said. 'We had a little scare during the week. He bucked and knocked his leg, which he's never done, but thankfully it wasn't anything serious.' Leap To Fame became just the eighth pacer to win multiple Inter Dominion finals and owners Kevin and Kay Seymour hinted strongly at chasing a third crown, which only three other pacers have done (Blacks A Fake, Im Themightyquinn and Our Sir Vancelot). 'The big studs have been coming hard at us to retire him, but we'll hold off for at least another year,' Kevin Seymour said. 'We've been in the game over 50 years and this is the horse we've dreamt of getting … Kay won't let me retire him, at least not for a while yet. 'It's important everyone understands the huge role Grant and Trista Dixon have played in making this horse.' In typical Seymour fashion, he said the winning trophy would go to Albion Park track photographer, Dan Costello, who is facing a huge battle with cancer. 'Dan's one of nature's gentlemen and is going through a really hard time. I'd love him to have the trophy and Kay and I will donate $100,000 of the prize money towards Dan's medical bills,' he said. Leap To Fame will have a break before aiming at another first, victory in NZ's most iconic race of any code, the NZ Cup at Addington in Christchurch in November. Earlier, star Victorian trotter Arcee Phoenix smashed through the $1 million prize money barrier with an emotion-charged $500,000 Inter Dominion trotting final win. Arcee Phoenix wins the Inter Dominion Trotting Grand Final Picture: Dan Costello Trainer-driver Chris Svanosio praised his late father-in-law, Dr Alistair McLean, for his guidance with Arcee Phoenix as a talented but raw youngster. 'Without him, this horse may well not have raced at all and now he's here as a six-year-old winning the Inter Dominion,' Svanosio said. 'There's lots of feelings at the moments, emotional, excitement and just relief after such a big build-up … we did it.' Arcee Phoenix became just the fifth Aussie-trained trotter to bank over a million with first prize taking him to $1,016,280. · Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp. PHOTOS: Dan Costello Originally published as Superstar pacer Leap To Fame streaks to effortless Inter Dominion victory
Scoop
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Platonic Sex Announce Debut Album Face To The Flywire; Share Title Track
[Friday, July 18, 2025] – Magandgin/Brisbane Indie-pop group Platonic Sex announce their debut album, Face to the Flywire, set for independent release on Friday, September 19. Alongside the news, the band share the album's title track, which they describe as their most intimate song to date. 'Face to the Flywire' joins previously released album singles 'Impress You' and 'Easy,' both of which garnered significant praise and airplay earlier this year from triple j, KEXP, 4ZZZ, Rolling Stone Australia, and more. For singer-guitarist Bridget Brandolini (they/them), music has always been a shared language, a friendly competition, and a powerful tool for self-discovery. The album's title track draws its core inspiration from Brandolini's childhood home – a Queenslander in Clunes, New South Wales. With five kids in the family, Brandolini's bedroom was the converted sunroom. "In stormy weather, I'd squish my face up to the flywire to feel the rain and blow smoke out of my room", they share. The song's foundation is built upon a chord progression passed down by Brandolini's father, a significant influence on their musical journey. 'He is the reason I write so much music today,' Brandolini explains. "He taught me all the lessons he learned about songwriting, even ones I didn't ask for. We'd sing different things over those chords, and I always found myself coming back to them." From this foundation, a stream of profound thoughts and memories emerged: the experience of witnessing family patterns unfold in one's own relationships, the yearning to be consumed by love, and the desire to understand how a partner's past shapes the shared home. Bridget adds, 'The words 'face to the flywire' are really special to me. They represent a feeling of being on the inside and pushing out, wanting to escape, to grow.' Platonic Sex, comprised of Bridget Brandolini (they/them), Ryan Hammermeister (he/they), and Jane Milroy (she/her), crafted Face to the Flywire with Antonia Gauci at Marrickville's Golden Retriever Studios, and it was mixed by Sam Cromack at Prawn Studio in Fortitude Valley. The twelve tracks on the album unfurl a rich tapestry of memories, capturing the essence of coming of age amidst the humid splendor of Queensland. During the development of this record, the band – who have since welcomed JESS CAMERON (she/her) on bass – continued to forge a distinctive sound, blending their individual musical backgrounds in jazz, folk, and other touring acts. This unique blend is sun-bleached by the spirit of their community: languorous, warm, isolated, and intimate. 'These songs feel nostalgic, like the Christmas holidays,' says Milroy. 'Sitting on the back deck and listening to cicadas.' Following the release of their debut EP, Platonic Sex was named a triple j Unearthed Feature Artist and won the Carol Lloyd Award at the 2023 Queensland Music Awards. They have showcased twice at BIGSOUND, the Southern Hemisphere's largest music industry event, including a slot at Amazon Music After Hours' PRIDE Party, and performed at The Great Escape in Brighton last year. Their music has been critically acclaimed, receiving praise and airplay from The Guardian, Junkee, Music Feeds, and more, while enjoying strong radio support, including rotation at triple j, SYN, and 2SER, plus additions to tastemaking editorial playlists across Spotify and Apple Music. Live, they have shared stages with notable artists like Angel Olsen, Jen Cloher, The Beths, Tops, Ball Park Music, and WAAX, performed at Rough Trade East, and featured on summer festival line-ups including Laneway Festival, St. Kilda Fest, and Mountain Goat Valley Crawl. Platonic Sex kicked off 2025 as Best Rock Song finalists at the Queensland Music Awards, followed by an energetic all-ages weekender, playing the inaugural She Can Rage party in Gadigal Land / Sydney, and a sold-out DIY headliner in Magandgin / Brisbane, in collaboration with Anti Dismal. Adding to their growing momentum, Platonic Sex received a notable mention as a band to watch during the national TV broadcast of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. This month, they will wrap up tour dates with Ball Park Music. Following the release of their album, Platonic Sex are set to support jasmine.4.t on her first Australian tour in October and will be part of the 4ZZZ 50th Birthday Market Day Line-Up, performing alongside iconic acts such as The Saints, Regurgitator, and Tropical Fuck Storm, among others.
