Perth Voice Interactive

In a last ditch effort to save the boutique publishing house her father has left her, an ambitious young editor goes on a book tour with the bitter, booze-addled author who put the publishing house on the map.

Lucy Stanbridge has inherited her father’s publishing house, but the ambitious would-be editor has nearly sunk it with failing titles. She discovers she is owed a book by Harris Shaw, a reclusive, cantankerous, booze-addled author who originally put the company on the map decades earlier.

In a last-ditch effort to save it, Lucy and Harris release his new book and embark on a tour from hell that changes them both in ways they didn’t expect.

A comedy-drama starring Michael Caine and Aubrey Plaza.

In Cinemas November 25

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FIREFIGHTING uniforms might keep the body safe, but there’s no helmet thick enough to prevent trauma creeping into the corners of a firefighter’s mind. 

After moving to WA on his retirement, former Tasmania Fire and Emergency Services chief officer Chris Arnol turned to painting to exorcise his demons, along the way securing himself a semi-finalist position in this year’s prestigious Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.

“I found art as a wonderful release,” Mr Arnol said.

“About two years ago I started doing a life drawing class at Atwell; I just needed a bit of me time being in such a high pressure job.”

Mr Arnol’s most recent semi-finalist piece Eroding Piece by Piece highlights the often invisible issue of mental health and the psychological effects that take a toll on firefighters’ health over time.

As CEO Mr Arnol said he was responsible for managing the psychological trauma of his firefighters which has had a long-lasting effect and filtered through to his artistic works.

“Try not to let the bucket fill up hence the idea of release, try and have the conversations,” he said.

His sitter for the Moran portrait was his former deputy Bruce Byatt; the pair worked side-by-side for years.

Mr Byatt over his long and successful career has worked in four jurisdictions (Melbourne, Queensland, Northern Territory and Tasmania) and in most instances been in charge of chaotic emergencies such as the Brisbane floods and the Coode Island fires.

Mr Arnol said he wanted to show the “deconstructed” and “splitting feelings” and thoughts associated with the enormous responsibility of his time in command.

Movement in time

“I tried to give the background a sense of movement in time as the fires burn and the years pass by.

“He wears a modern commander’s guard, but he is fragmenting and breaking away with the fire,” he said.

Both Mr Byatt and Mr Arnol agreed the cumulative years of firefighting had ground them down mentally.

Mr Arnol said he wanted to dedicate his time to painting and planned to travel to Florence to continue art classes once borders opened following the pandemic.

The DMNPP finalists will be announced on November 1 and the winner declared on November 30, followed by an online exhibition.

by ELLIE WALTON

LAWYERS acting for Bayswater mayor Filomena Piffaretti have written to resident James Kozak requesting an apology and removal of “false and malicious allegations” on Facebook.

Mr Kozak maintains several Facebook pages criticising and mocking Bayswater councillor Catherine Ehrhardt, candidate Sophie Edge, and most recently targeting Cr Piffaretti after she was elected (“New mayor slams online intimidation”, Voice, October 23, 2021). He posted images of Cr Piffaretti and fellow local government members enjoying a social occasion at a previous private function, with captions Mr Kozak described as “satire”.

Cr Pifarretti privately engaged Loughton Yorke Lawyers to send Mr Kozak a “concerns notice” stating his pages:

• “convey the clear imputation that our client is not capable of undertaking the role and responsibilities of the mayoral position she has been duly elected to”;

• “contains the misleading implication that the picture of our client was taken on the city premises on the occasion of her election as mayor and therefore that her dress and manner was unsuitable for such an occasion… [imputing] that she does not execute her duties in an appropriate manner”;

• “conveys the clear imputation that our client is incapable of controlling her bodily functions… and furthermore, in attempting to ridicule and humiliate our client, imply she is unsuited and inappropriate for the role to which she has been duly and properly elected”; and,

• Regarding “a photo of an unidentified blonde haired woman (clearly intended to falsely represent our client) hunched over, having vomited on the floor conveys the clear imputation that out client, inter alia, is incapable of controlling her alcohol intake, will not work in the best interest of the City of Bayswater residents and does not possess the capability to undertake the role and responsibilities of the mayoral position”.

The notice says “we have advised our client to seek damages for defamation from you personally”, but then stated Cr Piffaretti requested they only pursue a defamation action if Mr Kozak didn’t remove the posts and publish a pre-worded apology. 

Defamation concerns notices are intended to give the recipient an option for a quick resolution, averting costly and lengthy court action if they heed the requests. They often request the recipient cover the defamed party’s legal fees but this letter did not include a monetary request.

“We trust common sense will prevail and there will be no need for our client to proceed with any further legal action to enforce her rights,” the letter concluded.

Instead Mr Kozak took the unusual action of publicly posting the four page notice in the same Facebook as the subject photos. 

“Mayor Piffy and junior mayor Ehrhardt, play the Woman Card,” Mr Kozak said in his accompanying commentary. 

Mr Kozak posed a rhetorical statement to a page follower asking “if you feel the suppression of one lone voice on social media is a worthwhile expenditure of public funds”, however the City of Bayswater is not paying for Cr Piffaretti’s legal fees.

Mr Kozak waved off a commenter who suggested he get legal representation, saying: “It doesn’t take a team of lawyers to defeat suppression of protected political speech.

“All it takes is for one mind, regardless of law school graduation to point to the law which protects this speech.”

by DAVID BELL

MOUNT LAWLEY Labor MP Simon Millman has warned WA to stay on guard against extreme right wing terrorism creeping in here as unrest over Covid-19 exacerbates radical movements. 

He told Parliament his constituency is particularly concerned by this trend: “The people of Mount Lawley are survivors of apartheid in South Africa and the Holocaust from World War II and they know first-hand the danger that race-based ideologies present to the community.”

Mr Millman was speaking in support of a bill requiring “exceptional reasons” be shown before prisoners with terrorist links are granted early release.

The amendments are based on a federal Council of Australian Governments agreement following the 2017 Brighton siege. 

The perpetrator was alleged to have trained with militant Islamists in Somalia, was acquitted over conspiracy to commit a terrorist attack on Holsworthy Barracks in 2009, spent more time in prison for possessing a firearm in 2011, and then was sentenced to five years prison for committing a home invasion in 2012. 

Despite starting two fires while in prison, he was released early and committed the attack while on parole, killing one person and injuring others before dying in a shootout with police. 

While that perpetrator had Islamist sympathies, Mr Millman said there were growing threats from “right wing extremism… Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism”.

He cited an ASIO report from February that stated “Covid-19 has exacerbated a range of anti-government, anti-5G, anti-vaccination and pro-conspiracy narratives raising public awareness of different issue motivated groups”.

ASIO reported: “Extreme right-wing groups and individuals have seized on Covid-19, believing it reinforces the narratives and conspiracies at the core of their ideologies. They see the pandemic as proof of the failure of globalisation, multiculturalism, and democracy, and confirmation that societal collapse and a ‘race war’ are inevitable.”

Mr Millman noted: “We are, sadly, following the path that has been well worn in the United States. So much of the narrative that is being advanced is tested on people in America and then sold into the Australian community through social media and the internet.”

The bill has opposition support and passed its third reading in the lower house on October 20, and has now been sent to the upper house.

by DAVID BELL

A COUPLE who have been unable to conceive their own child want WA’s surrogacy laws overhauled, saying they are archaic and could even be putting people at risk.

The couple, who the Voice is naming Tim and Heather to protect their privacy, say travel bans under the Covid pandemic have highlighted the uncertainty they and others face trying to start a family.

Having recently moved to WA for work, Tim and Heather don’t yet have a wide social network and have found it difficult to find a surrogate willing to carry a child for love (and out-of-pocket expenses) as legally required.

But they can’t enter a commercial surrogacy arrangement, or even to advertise for one in WA, as it’s illegal under the Surrogacy Act 2008.

Tim says they’ve considered a work-around used by around 200 Australian couples each year – heading overseas to countries where commercial surrogacy is legal (the US and Ukraine are the most popular).

Apart from the difficulties caused by Covid travel bans, he says they’re also nervous about the costs and risks, having discovered it could set them back around $50,000.

“Women might be trafficked or treated unfairly in these other countries, the people could be fraudsters or dubious,” he said, adding it was difficult to know who to trust.

“There are risks of birth certificate issues or birthing costs in the event the child needs other care,” Tim said.

“People like us who have been dealt a bad hand just want a child like everyone else and it is virtually impossible. Ask anyone who can’t have children or have lost children, and seeing people with families is like a dagger in the chest every time.”

Tim says the money being raised overseas could stay in Australia if the commercial surrogacy ban were overturned.

But the McGowan government recently announced that while it was overhauling the state’s reproductive technology and surrogacy laws to improve access to altruistic surrogacy, the ban on commercial arrangements would remain.

Clinics would be allowed to recruit altruistic surrogates under the revamp, while the range of people allowed to apply would be expanded to include women facing impending infertility, single men, people in same-sex relationship, transgender people and intersex people.

A spokesperson from health minister Roger Cook’s office said there was a long-standing principle in Australia in not paying for human products, likening it to free blood or organ donations.

“Commercial surrogacy often exploits women overseas from lower socio-economic backgrounds and children born from overseas commercial surrogacy often do not have access to important information about their biological heritage,” the spokesperson said.

“No states or territories in Australia allow domestic commercial surrogacy.”

by STEVE GRANT

BAYSWATER council has knocked back another request from the Bayswater Football Club to halve last year’s game fees because of the impact of Covid.

The Blues only got to play half the season at Hillcrest Oval because of lockdowns and told the council it had been a “struggle”.

“The figures speak for themselves,” treasurer Garry Snashall wrote to the council.

“We charged less membership and only got in half a season of ball fees as well as half a season of bar trade.”

Mr Snashall said the Perth Football League had reduced the Blues’ season fees, but Bayswater council had been unmoved.

Payment plan

Back in December last year a first request for half fees was rejected by the council which offered a payment plan instead, and while the club’s appeal against that decision was lodged in March, it’s only just made its way to the full council for a decision.

A report to this week’s council meeting said staff tried to get a better understanding of the club’s finances, but didn’t have much luck.

The report’s risk assessment also said backflipping on the original decision “has the potential to prompt review of previous, or encourage additional, requests for financial assistance”.

BFC president Mark Thomas told the Voice while the club thought its request was fair, it didn’t want to get stuck into the council over its decision, particularly with a joint refurbishment of the clubrooms on its wish list.

He said a rebound after the lockdown saw more people attending games and also signing up for membership.

by STEVE GRANT