Latest news with #Voice
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What did we learn from Your Voice Your Vote events?
Voters have been quizzing election candidates on their views during a series of 'Your Voice Your Vote' events hosted by BBC Guernsey. The events have seen 10 candidates each night present themselves in a 90 second pitch, then answer three audience questions in 45 seconds each. Housing, taxation, education, healthcare and the third sector have all been on the agenda so far, as well as questions over toxicity in the States and candidates' ability to compromise. After the pitches, questions and mingling with candidates, these voters told us what they thought. The Austins are making voting a family affair, with Mum Kirstie, Dad Andre, Tanner and Bailey all keen to put their questions to candidates. Andre said: "What's most important is not leaving people behind. "Homelessness and inequality are really uncomfortable conversations that thankfully more people are starting to have, but I think if we want to get things done, people need to put their money where their mouth is. "If they don't, they'll hear about it this term as people will be on the streets." Tanner, who is at school, said his priority was creating a better education system. "I feel like certain schools give you a one-up in life and everyone should have the opportunity to access those." When asked if he thought the candidates would deliver what he wanted, he said: "I think you can get a sense of where people are coming from and how confident they are in what they can do. "So after tonight I'd have faith in a few people up there." Bailey, 19, asked the candidates a question about how they would support the third sector. She said: "The third sector literally carries Guernsey, it does work that the government should do, and it does it for free. "Some of them were very convincing, particularly the people who'd been involved in the third sector, others weren't because they spoke negatively about it." Kirstie said she was not passionate about one policy in particular, but wanted to see an Assembly that would "agree, and get stuff done". She said: "I was not convinced by the panel because some of them didn't even acknowledge the current toxicity within the States or more importantly, what they're going to do to hold themselves accountable so it doesn't happen in the next States." Ben Langlois has come to two Your Voice Your Vote events so far to help him decide who to vote for. He said: "My election priorities are affordable housing and a change in the tax system to make it more progressive and less flat-rate. "I thought it was really interesting. You come in and know certain candidates have got your vote and some don't, and it's the 'inbetweens' that you can ask questions to. My mind's been solidified. I've got three definites from tonight and a couple of maybes." Susan and Ian Souter said they wanted to vote for candidates who would look at the future realistically, and inspire islanders to do the same. Susan said: "The harbour is essential. It's going to take up most of any savings the States has, but it's crucial, and I don't think they've done any major work in it for a long time. "But imagine if our harbour gives way! No thanks." Ian said, "What people standing can't seem to do is paint a picture of what Guernsey will be like in 10 years, a wonderful place where we all want to live. "There will be some painful decisions to be made, and if we're going to have pain, we want to understand what's at the end of the rainbow." Further events are being held until 5 June. More news stories for Guernsey Listen to the latest news for Guernsey Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to BBC Guernsey to host eight election events General Election: The booklet lands... Guernsey Election 2025
The Age
a day ago
- Politics
- The Age
‘All dealt with': Albanese defends Greens defector after bullying allegations
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese insists bullying complaints against West Australian senator Dorinda Cox were dealt with appropriately as he hailed her shock defection from the Greens to join his government. The move represents a body blow to the Greens, which lost three of its four lower house seats, including that of former leader Adam Bandt, at the election but had held its ground in the Senate. Cox said she only informed new Greens leader Larissa Waters of her decision 90 minutes before Albanese held an afternoon press conference with Cox in Perth on Monday before a cabinet meeting in the state on Tuesday. 'I have reached a conclusion after deep and careful reflection that my values and priorities are more aligned with Labor than the Greens,' Cox said. 'I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled. But recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this.' The senator, who has three years left on her term in parliament, was facing the prospect of losing the number one spot on the Greens' Western Australian Senate ticket, after this masthead revealed Cox had lost 20 staff in three years. Five lodged some form of complaint with the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, while several lodged complaints with the leader's office and with the WA branch of the Greens. In November, this masthead reported that parliament's support service wound up its involvement without informing complainants of a resolution. Cox has consistently denied the claims and argued they lacked context but apologised for any distress felt by her staff during a period when her office was dealing with the pandemic, then the Voice referendum, multiple parliamentary inquiries and a large geographic area. Cox said at the time that she took responsibility 'for any shortcomings in what has occurred during this period'.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Warren Mundine calls on Labor to abandon 'nonsense' approach to Indigenous issues, focus on 'great things' rather than highlighting gap in outcomes
Warren Mundine has called on Labor to abandon its "nonsense" approach to Indigenous issues. Following the defeat of the Voice referendum in 2023, the Albanese government has received criticism for a lack of action on improving the lives of Indigenous Australians. A lack of progress in hitting health, education and other socioeconomic targets in the Closing the Gap report led to further scrutiny, as well as calls from some in the community for a return to basics approach. Despite this, Labor has maintained it remains committed to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full, adding it was focused on turning outcomes around. Speaking to Sky News Australia, though, Mr Mundine argued the government's approach would continue to fail so long as they kept seeking ways to implement the Uluru Statement instead of focusing on fundamental needs. "The No vote (against the Voice) was almost twice the size of what the Albanese government got in this election, so let's get back to the reality," he said. "The reality is none of these things will ever fix anything or the problems within Aboriginal and the rest of Australia. "We have to come up with some serious stuff and there is some great stuff that is happening out there. "Let us talk about them, let us work on those, instead of just talking about all this nonsense all the time which has been so strongly rejected, not only by the wider Australian community, but by Aboriginal people." Mr Mundine is not alone in calling for greater focus on the "great stuff" occurring in some Indigenous communities. New shadow minister for Indigenous Australians, Kerrynne Liddle, has been outspoken on the need to change perceptions about First Nations peoples. "It is disingenuous to suggest that every Aboriginal person is impoverished because that is not true. There are many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working well and effectively in organisations," she told The Australian last week. Mr Mundine echoed that view, citing the Indigenous Business and Economic Program as he argued Labor needed to shift its focus to promoting the success of Indigenous communities. "I sat at a conference once and it talked about health problems in Aboriginals, it talked about crime in Aboriginals, it talked about unemployment in Aboriginals," he said. "I'm a very positive person. By the end of that conference, I sat there and said: 'God, I must be one of the most miserable people on the planet'. "We're not recognising the incredible success of what's happening. You look at the Indigenous Business and Economic Program. It's gone from a 6.7 million program to 8.2 billion, 40,000 jobs for, not only for Aboriginal people, 25,000 for Aboriginal people, but 20,000 other people in Australia who are working for Aboriginal businesses." Mr Mundine added the government could only change outcomes by injecting "positivity" into the conversation around Indigenous issues, warning: "If we keep talking about negative stuff, then we'll always end up with negative stuff".
Scroll.in
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
Morabo Morojele: The social and political drum beats of the Lesotho jazz musician
We use the term ' Renaissance man ' very loosely these days, for anybody even slightly multi-talented. But Lesotho-born jazz drummer, novelist and development scholar Morabo Morojele was the genuine article. He not only worked across multiple fields, but achieved impressively in all. Morojele died on May 20, aged 64. As a researcher into South African jazz, I encountered him initially through his impressive live performances. I was surprised to hear about his first novel and then – as a teacher of writing – bowled over by its literary power. Celebrating a life such as Morojele's matters, because a pan-African polymath like him cut against the grain of a world of narrow professional boxes, where borders are increasingly closing to 'foreigners'. This was a man who not only played the jazz changes, but wrote – and lived – the social and political ones. Economist who loved jazz Born on September 16, 1960 in Maseru, Lesotho, Morojele schooled at the Waterford Kamhlaba United World College in Swaziland (now Eswatini) before being accepted to study at the London School of Economics. In London in the early 1980s the young economics student converted his longstanding jazz drumming hobby into a professional side gig. There was a vibrant African diasporic music community, respected by and often sharing stages with their British peers. Morojele worked, among others, in the bands of South African drummer Julian Bahula and Ghanaian saxophonist George Lee. With Lee's outfit, Dadadi, he recorded Boogie Highlife Volume 1 in 1985. Studies completed and back in Lesotho, Morojele founded the small Afro-jazz group Black Market and later the trio Afro-Blue. He worked intermittently with other Basotho music groups including Sankomota, Drizzle and Thabure while building links with visiting South African artists. For them neighbouring Lesotho provided less repressive stages than apartheid South Africa. Morojele relocated to Johannesburg in 1995 and picked up his old playing relationship with Lee, by then also settled there. His drum prowess caught the eye of rising star saxophonist Zim Ngqawana. With bassist Herbie Tsoaeli and pianist Andile Yenana, he became part of the reedman's regular rhythm section. The three rhythm players developed a close bond and a distinctive shared vision, which led to their creating a trio and an independent repertoire. Later they were joined by saxophonist Sydney Mnisi and trumpeter Marcus Wyatt to form the quintet Voice. Voice was often the resident band at one of Johannesburg's most important post-liberation jazz clubs: the Bassline. Although the 1994-founded venue was just a cramped little storefront in a bohemian suburb, it provided a stage for an entire new generation of indigenous jazz and pan-African music in its nine years. Voice was an important part of that identity, which is particularly audible on their second recording. Play Morojele also recorded with South African jazz stars like Bheki Mseleku and McCoy Mrubata. He appeared on stage with everyone from Abdullah Ibrahim to Feya Faku. His drum sound had a tight, disciplined, almost classical swing, punctuated visually by kinetic energy, and sonically by hoarse, breathy vocalisations. Voice playing partner Marcus Wyatt recalls: 'The first time I played with you, I remember being really freaked out by those vocal sound effects coming from the drum kit behind me, but the heaviness of your swing far outweighed the heaviness of the grunting. That heavy swing was in everything you did – the way you spoke, the way you loved, the way you drank, the way you wrote, the way you lived your life.' Wyatt also recalls a gentle, humble approach to making music together, but spiced with sharp, unmuted honesty – 'You always spoke your mind' – and intense, intellectual after-show conversations about much more than music. Because Morojele had never abandoned his other life as a development scholar and consultant. He was travelling extensively and engaging with (and acutely feeling the hurt of) the injustices and inequalities of the world. Between those two vocations, a third was insinuating itself into the light: that of writer. The accidental writer He said in an interview: 'I came to writing almost by accident … I've always enjoyed writing (but) I never grew up thinking I was going to be a writer.' In 2006, after what he described in interviews as a series of false starts, he produced a manuscript that simply 'wrote itself'. How We Buried Puso starts with the preparations for a brother's funeral. The novel – set in Lesotho – reflects on the diverse personal and societal meanings of liberation in the 'country neighbouring' (South Africa) and at home. How new meanings for old practices are forged, and how the personal and the political intertwine and diverge. All set to Lesotho's lifela music. The book was shortlisted for the 2007 M-Net Literary Award. There was an 18-year hiatus before Morojele's second novel, 2023's The Three Egg Dilemma. Now that he was settled again in Lesotho, music was less and less a viable source of income, and development work filled his time. 'I suppose,' he said, 'I forgot I was a writer.' But, in the end, that book 'also wrote itself, because I didn't have an outline … it just became what it is almost by accident.' In 2022, a serious health emergency hit; he was transported to South Africa for urgent surgery. The Three Egg Dilemma, unfolding against an unnamed near-future landscape that could also be Lesotho, broadens his canvas considerably. The setting could as easily be any nation overtaken by the enforced isolation of a pandemic or the dislocation of civil war and military dictatorship, forcing individuals to rethink and re-make themselves. And complicated by the intervention of a malign ghost: a motif that Morojele said had been in his mind for a decade. For this powerful second novel, Morojele was joint winner of the University of Johannesburg Prize for South African writing in English. At the time of his death, he was working on his third fiction outing, a collection of short stories. Play Beauty of his work lives on Morojele's creative career was remarkable. What wove his three identities together – musician, development worker and writer – was his conscious, committed pan-Africanism and his master craftsman's skill with sound: the sound of his drums and the sound of his words as they rose off the page. Through his books, and his (far too few) recordings, that beauty lives with us still. Robala ka khotso (Sleep in peace). Gwen Ansell.
Finextra
5 days ago
- Business
- Finextra
Eltropy launches cloud-native business phone system for credit unions and community banks
Eltropy, the leading AI-powered Unified Conversations Platform for credit unions and community banks, today unveiled 'Eltropy Office Phone,' a cloud-native business phone system that integrates with AI-powered modern contact center systems such as Eltropy Voice+ to deliver an enterprise-wide Unified Telephony Experience. 0 This content is provided by an external author without editing by Finextra. It expresses the views and opinions of the author. 'With Eltropy Office Phone, we're completing the final mile of telephony transformation for credit unions and community banks,' said Ashish Garg, Co-founder & CEO, Eltropy. 'For too long, institutions have been forced to juggle fragmented systems for internal and external communications. Now, with Unified Telephony, we're delivering one seamless, cloud-native telephony purpose-built to power every conversation across the institution, from the back office to the contact center.' Purpose-built for credit unions and community banks, Eltropy Office Phone offers secure, reliable, and scalable internal voice communications with smart features such as cloud-hosted PBX, support for both hardware phones & softphones, direct inward dialing (DID), extension dialing, quick outbound dialing, external dialing, personal voicemail with custom greetings, and much more. Credit unions and community banks can now consolidate outdated, siloed phone systems into One Unified Platform, lowering total cost of ownership (TCO) while strengthening security and simplifying operations. Whether a member calls the branch, interacts with an AI assistant, or connects with back-office staff, Eltropy ensures a consistent, context-rich experience with intelligent routing, fast resolution, and smooth collaboration across teams. 'Eltropy Office Phone is not just another business phone solution – it's the connective tissue that bridges the gap between teams in the back office with the contact center,' Ashish continued. 'Built on modern cloud architecture and deeply integrated with Eltropy Voice+, our Unified Telephony ensures calls are not missed, handoffs are seamless, and the entire institution speaks with one voice, backed by 99.95% uptime and industry-grade security.' This launch reinforces Eltropy's vision to ease access to financial capital for all, anytime, anywhere, with a powerful telephony technology system that unifies AI-driven self-service, front-line support, and internal collaboration into one seamless experience.
