Latest news with #RodneySmith
Wall Street Journal
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
House of the Week: A Pair of Historic Homes in New Orleans
Ken Fulk is a New Orleans habitué, who has been inspired by the city's music, culture and architecture. In 2021, the designer, who splits his time between San Francisco, New York and Provincetown, Mass., jumped at the chance to buy and restore two homes built in the 1800s in the city's French Quarter. Fulk, 60, paid $2.45 million for the main house and $1.58 million for the guest house, both previously owned by hoteliers Frances and Rodney Smith. The Smiths also owned the nearby Soniat House Hotel, where Fulk was a regular during his trips to New the Smiths listed the Soniat for sale, Fulk bought the hotel and several nearby buildings, including the two homes.' It was a kismet moment,' he says. 'It was almost like, 'How could we not do this?''
The Age
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Age
The 150 ways Australia's electorates are wildly different
But in a swag of regional electorates, more than a quarter of the electorate is aged 70-plus. This includes the NSW North Coast seat of Lyne (28.5 per cent over 70 years), the Queensland coastal seat of Hinkler (27.5 per cent) and Gilmore on the NSW South Coast (27.1 per cent). In Lyne, Hinkler and Gilmore, fewer than a third of voters are aged under 45. The number of electorates with a high share of older voters is on the rise. At the 2019 federal poll. only one electorate in Australia had more than 30,000 voters aged 70-plus; by 2022 that had risen to four seats and this year, there will be nine. Rodney Smith, professor of Australian politics at Sydney University, says the contrasting age profiles of some electorates poses a growing political challenge for major parties as they seek to balance differing political priorities. 'To get a majority in the House of Representatives, the major parties have always had to deal with the issue of representing electorates with very different interests,' he said. 'In the past, the disjunction between younger voters and older voters was not so pronounced, but now that age factor raises a new dimension of difficulty in electoral contests for those major parties.' Nick Parr, honorary professor of demography at Macquarie University, expects age differences between federal electorates to become more pronounced. 'You would expect the range of age profiles to grow over time with newly developed urban areas remaining relatively young,' he said. Just over 18 million people are enrolled to vote on May 3 – about 870,000 more than at the last election. Loading An Australian Electoral Commission spokesman says new migrants made up about 30 per cent of new enrolments in Australia, the vast majority of enrolment growth being younger voters turning 18 and enrolling to vote for the first time. The number of teens on the electoral roll (those aged 18 and 19 years) has jumped from 417,000 at the last election to 493,000 this year. The AEC said one reason for this increase was a change in 2023 that allowed Medicare cards to be used as proof of ID to enrol. 'This removed a significant barrier to entry for younger voters who might previously have had problems enrolling due to not having a driver's licence or passport,' an AEC spokesman said. Another factor was a boost in enrolments around the time of the Voice referendum in October 2023. Cultural diversity In many urban seats, voters come from an array of cultural backgrounds while those outside the major cities, especially in sprawling regional electorates, tend to be less multicultural. Parr says this reflects the settlement of overseas migrants, which has been concentrated in capital cities. Comparing the seat of Fowler in south-west Sydney with the giant electorate of Maranoa in western Queensland illustrates this trend. Census data shows that in Fowler, which takes in the suburbs of Liverpool and Cabramatta, three in every four households speak a language other than English. In Maranoa, that share is only one in every 20 households. For 77 per cent of Fowler's population both parents were born overseas but in Maranoa that share is just 10 per cent. But in many regional areas the population from a non-English-speaking background is on the rise. 'The last census showed an increasing cultural diversity across regional Australia with the spread of migrants into various regional areas,' Parr says. 'So, there may be new or growing ethnic communities that could influence voting patterns.' Gender Women outnumber men in Australia – the latest Bureau of Statistics estimates show that for every 100 females there are 98.6 males. That gap reflects the longer life expectancy of women. Even so, men are a majority in 12 of Australia's 150 electorates. Most of them are in regions where a significant share of the population is employed in male-dominated industries, especially mining and agriculture. In the Queensland electorate of Flynn, which spans inland from Gladstone, there are 2380 (or 4 per cent) more males than females, which is the largest gender gap in favour of men of any electorate. In the giant West Australian electorate of Durak, which includes the iron ore mining hub of Pilbara, there are about 2 per cent more men than women. But seats with male majorities are also found in the heart of our biggest cities. In the electorate of Sydney, men outnumber women by nearly 6000, while there are 1436 more males enrolled than females in the seat of Melbourne. The largest gender gap favouring women is in the seat of Fisher, north of Brisbane, where there are 7365 more female voters than males. Loading The past two federal elections have been marked by the success of female 'teal' independents in affluent electorates previously considered Liberal Party heartland. Election role data shows most the seats where teal candidates prevailed have a significant female majority, especially Goldstein in Melbourne, held by Zoe Daniel (6489 more women than men), Warringah in Sydney, held by Zali Steggall (4290 more women than men) and Mackellar, held by Sophie Scamps (4130 more women than men). Number of voters per electorate The average number of voters per federal electorate has reached 120,650 – an all-time high. But there are marked variations in the number of voters in seats across the nation. That's because the Australian Constitution, adopted in 1901, stipulates that each 'original state' must have at least five seats in the House of Representatives. Patterns of population growth since federation mean that electorates in the smallest state, Tasmania, have far fewer voters than the national average. (In 1901, Tasmania accounted for nearly 5 per cent of the national population, but that share has shrunk to about 2 per cent). The two electorates in the sparsely populated Northern Territory also have fewer voters than the rest of the country. Election roll data shows the seat of Clark in Hobart has the lowest number of voters at 74,315, while the electorate of Lingiari in the Northern Territory has the second lowest at 76,836.
Sydney Morning Herald
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
The 150 ways Australia's electorates are wildly different
But in a swag of regional electorates, more than a quarter of the electorate is aged 70-plus. This includes the NSW North Coast seat of Lyne (28.5 per cent over 70 years), the Queensland coastal seat of Hinkler (27.5 per cent) and Gilmore on the NSW South Coast (27.1 per cent). In Lyne, Hinkler and Gilmore, fewer than a third of voters are aged under 45. The number of electorates with a high share of older voters is on the rise. At the 2019 federal poll. only one electorate in Australia had more than 30,000 voters aged 70-plus; by 2022 that had risen to four seats and this year, there will be nine. Rodney Smith, professor of Australian politics at Sydney University, says the contrasting age profiles of some electorates poses a growing political challenge for major parties as they seek to balance differing political priorities. 'To get a majority in the House of Representatives, the major parties have always had to deal with the issue of representing electorates with very different interests,' he said. 'In the past, the disjunction between younger voters and older voters was not so pronounced, but now that age factor raises a new dimension of difficulty in electoral contests for those major parties.' Nick Parr, honorary professor of demography at Macquarie University, expects age differences between federal electorates to become more pronounced. 'You would expect the range of age profiles to grow over time with newly developed urban areas remaining relatively young,' he said. Just over 18 million people are enrolled to vote on May 3 – about 870,000 more than at the last election. Loading An Australian Electoral Commission spokesman says new migrants made up about 30 per cent of new enrolments in Australia, the vast majority of enrolment growth being younger voters turning 18 and enrolling to vote for the first time. The number of teens on the electoral roll (those aged 18 and 19 years) has jumped from 417,000 at the last election to 493,000 this year. The AEC said one reason for this increase was a change in 2023 that allowed Medicare cards to be used as proof of ID to enrol. 'This removed a significant barrier to entry for younger voters who might previously have had problems enrolling due to not having a driver's licence or passport,' an AEC spokesman said. Another factor was a boost in enrolments around the time of the Voice referendum in October 2023. Cultural diversity In many urban seats, voters come from an array of cultural backgrounds while those outside the major cities, especially in sprawling regional electorates, tend to be less multicultural. Parr says this reflects the settlement of overseas migrants, which has been concentrated in capital cities. Comparing the seat of Fowler in south-west Sydney with the giant electorate of Maranoa in western Queensland illustrates this trend. Census data shows that in Fowler, which takes in the suburbs of Liverpool and Cabramatta, three in every four households speak a language other than English. In Maranoa, that share is only one in every 20 households. For 77 per cent of Fowler's population both parents were born overseas but in Maranoa that share is just 10 per cent. But in many regional areas the population from a non-English-speaking background is on the rise. 'The last census showed an increasing cultural diversity across regional Australia with the spread of migrants into various regional areas,' Parr says. 'So, there may be new or growing ethnic communities that could influence voting patterns.' Gender Women outnumber men in Australia – the latest Bureau of Statistics estimates show that for every 100 females there are 98.6 males. That gap reflects the longer life expectancy of women. Even so, men are a majority in 12 of Australia's 150 electorates. Most of them are in regions where a significant share of the population is employed in male-dominated industries, especially mining and agriculture. In the Queensland electorate of Flynn, which spans inland from Gladstone, there are 2380 (or 4 per cent) more males than females, which is the largest gender gap in favour of men of any electorate. In the giant West Australian electorate of Durak, which includes the iron ore mining hub of Pilbara, there are about 2 per cent more men than women. But seats with male majorities are also found in the heart of our biggest cities. In the electorate of Sydney, men outnumber women by nearly 6000, while there are 1436 more males enrolled than females in the seat of Melbourne. The largest gender gap favouring women is in the seat of Fisher, north of Brisbane, where there are 7365 more female voters than males. Loading The past two federal elections have been marked by the success of female 'teal' independents in affluent electorates previously considered Liberal Party heartland. Election role data shows most the seats where teal candidates prevailed have a significant female majority, especially Goldstein in Melbourne, held by Zoe Daniel (6489 more women than men), Warringah in Sydney, held by Zali Steggall (4290 more women than men) and Mackellar, held by Sophie Scamps (4130 more women than men). Number of voters per electorate The average number of voters per federal electorate has reached 120,650 – an all-time high. But there are marked variations in the number of voters in seats across the nation. That's because the Australian Constitution, adopted in 1901, stipulates that each 'original state' must have at least five seats in the House of Representatives. Patterns of population growth since federation mean that electorates in the smallest state, Tasmania, have far fewer voters than the national average. (In 1901, Tasmania accounted for nearly 5 per cent of the national population, but that share has shrunk to about 2 per cent). The two electorates in the sparsely populated Northern Territory also have fewer voters than the rest of the country. Election roll data shows the seat of Clark in Hobart has the lowest number of voters at 74,315, while the electorate of Lingiari in the Northern Territory has the second lowest at 76,836.
ABC News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Australians are voting earlier than in previous elections. Some parties have taken advantage
Applications for postal voting in the 2025 federal election close at 6pm on Wednesday. So far, a record 2.6 million people have applied for a ballot paper via the post. But far more have attended early voting centres across the country. The figures point to change in voting patterns with Australians choosing to vote early in record numbers this election. With just days to go, let's break down the numbers. How many people have voted so far? Pre-poll numbers show that more than 4.03 million people have already voted — a considerable jump since the 2022 election. That's more than 22 per cent of enrolment. At the same point in the 2022 campaign, 3.2 million voters had cast their ballots early, according to Australian Electoral Commission data. The latest figures represent a 125 per cent increase on the previous campaign. But why are more people voting early? Political experts say it's not just about avoiding the long queues on May 3 but could be an emerging trend. Professor of Australian Politics at the University of Sydney, Rodney Smith, said more people could be voting earlier to fit in with their work schedules and lifestyle. "The greater availability of early voting centres, more knowledge among voters that they can vote early, and that it is often more convenient to do so," he said. "[Early voting] is certainly about convenience but that is not necessarily a bad thing. He said if early voting wasn't allowed, pre-poll voting would be "much more cumbersome". But early voting is not new, and doesn't seem to be going anywhere, according to La Trobe University's Phoebe Hayman, whose research focuses on political participation. "It's really escalated at this election, but it has been a trend that we've been seeing pop up in a number of elections now," she said. Has early voting changed election campaigns? Ms Hayman said political parties had changed their campaign trails to target early voters. "[The early voting trend] is one that parties have been taking into account and adapting to," she said. Ms Hayman said many parties had now moved to the "permanent campaign" model to target more voters. "Parties now just need to start campaigning a lot earlier, and to release major policies and their big selling items pretty early on in the piece," she said. Photo shows Five people on a beach are shown from behind running into the water as the sun rises. A coal industry-funded group campaigning against progressive candidates in the federal election has deleted two months of social media posts after being pulled up by the Australian Electoral Commission over unauthorised content. But Professor Smith said while the major parties launched their campaigns earlier this time around, other parties have not yet caught on. "[Other parties] needed to get their early voting centre teams organised for a 10 to 12-day period to target early voters," he said. "Rather than just mobilising their forces on polling day …[parties] need to get more of their policies out earlier." Ms Hayman said smaller parties, like the Greens, had focused on community-based campaigning this time around. "We're also seeing with the independents and in campaigns … with The Greens, that ongoing shift to community-based campaigning and on-the-ground efforts, which start months, if not years, in advance of the election," Ms Hayman said. Postal voting hits record While many get in early, others have opted to vote via post for many reasons. A record 2.6 million people have applied for a postal vote for the 2025 federal election so far, according to the AEC. But that does not necessarily mean all those who have applied will vote via post — people may change their mind and vote on the day or during pre-poll. More than 100,000 votes have also been cast with mobile voting teams, largely in regional areas. Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope said it was extraordinarily difficult to service some people who applied for postal voting at the last minute, depending on their circumstances. "If you can vote in-person, that's what you should do," Mr Pope said. Stay updated: Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on "Postal vote applications have been open for a month now and we've been consistent in encouraging people to apply as early as possible if they need a postal vote. "Clearly most people have listened to our messages, and we thank them for that. "While we appreciate that for some people in-person voting isn't an option for their circumstances, Australia does have some of the best in-person voting options in the world with thousands of venues available," he said.
Zawya
27-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Kenvue champions role of pharmacists at first community pharmacy conference in the UAE
Dubai, UAE – Kenvue, the world's largest pure-play consumer health company by revenue and maker of Listerine, Nicorette, and Neutrogena, will join the UAE's first-ever community pharmacy conference as a gold sponsor. Led by the Emirates Pharmacy Society, this convening reflects a growing recognition of pharmacists as frontline healthcare providers -- who are a familiar and reliable part of the community and play a vital role in promoting self-care to help ease pressure on wider healthcare systems. This extends beyond simply dispensing over-the-counter medications to providing invaluable and accessible medical advice. Kenvue will be sponsoring the event, where regional experts gather to discuss trends and challenges across Over-the-counter medicine (OTC), supply chain and insurance, helping advance the community pharmacy landscape. Rodney Smith, GCC Country Director at Kenvue, shared: 'Pharmacists are essential healthcare providers who significantly contribute to the depressurization of healthcare systems by enabling individuals to manage their health and wellbeing. As a company rooted in science and care, Kenvue believes pharmacists are not just dispensers of products, but rather the community's partners in prevention, education, and overall well-being. Supporting the sector through the IVPN network at the conference is part of Kenvue's broader effort to nurture community health and ensure that people across the region have access to reliable health guidance.' About Kenvue Kenvue is the world's largest pure-play consumer health company by revenue. Built on more than a century of heritage, our iconic brands, including Aveeno®, BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages, Johnson's, Listerine, Neutrogena, and Tylenol, are science-backed and recommended by healthcare professionals around the world. At Kenvue, we realize the extraordinary power of everyday care. Our teams work every day to put that power in consumers' hands and earn a place in their hearts and homes. Learn more at
