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  • New mayor slams online intimidation

    New mayor slams online intimidation

    BAYSWATER’S new mayor and one of her colleagues have called out local Facebook pages linked to a vocal resident, for persistently targeting female candidates during the council elections.

    James Kozak is the main author of Facebook pages including Bayswater WTF Community Notices and Chat Group, and Oh Fishal Page of Those Blocked by Cr Catherine Ehrhardt, which he characterises as “satire”.

    Following Filomena Piffaretti’s election as Bayswater’s first female mayor this week, the WTF page, where Mr Kozak is listed as one of the administrators, ran a series of images from a social occasion earlier this year where she played up for the camera.

    One of the posts suggested Cr Piffaretti’s expression looked as though she’d soiled herself, while another mockingly described her and Cr Ehrhardt as the city’s “braintrust”. 

    A final image in the series, which was not of Cr Piffaretti, featured a similar-looking woman slumped forward while vomiting on the floor of a party. “Our new Bayswater mayor, Filomena Piffaretti, just learned her new paycheck of $140,000 brings with it actual responsibilities to work in the ratepayers [sic] interests,” the caption read. 

    During the election his pages also took aim at candidate Sophie Edge, mocking her appearance and saying her job with multinational government contractor Serco made her unsuitable for office.

    Cr Catherine Ehrhardt has been the target of Mr Kozak’s keyboard critique for more than a year, with one of his pages likening her behaviour to North Korean dictators and ascribing a discarded tampon as residents’ response to her support for “biophilic design principles”.

    Cr Piffaretti said: It’s unacceptable that as the first female mayor in the City of Bayswater’s history, I and my fellow female councillors have been subjected to this kind of intimidation, harassment, bullying and defamation online.

    “This kind of behaviour is designed to intimidate women out of serving in public roles and I and my fellow councillors won’t put up with it, but neither will we be distracted from doing our jobs because of it.”

    Cr Ehrhardt said that during most of her time on council she had been subjected to “intimidation and harassment” from supporters of other councillors.

    “None of this is new but it’s disgraceful and almost always directed at women.

    A member of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association WA branch, Cr Ehrhardt said the targeting of women in local government was a growing problem nationally.

    Back in September Mr Kozak posted screenshots of two notifications he received from Facebook after it removed posts on the Oh Fishal page for “bullying”.

    Mr Kozak “reminded” the Voice “the same High Court protected freedom that allows the West Australian to satirise Clive Palmer as a cockroach or cane toad, allows any public official to be satirised”, claiming that exempted his posts from being described as bullying.

    But it wasn’t quite enough protection to acknowledge whether he was the author of the post mocking Ms Edge: “I have no intention of walking into legal exposure of any sort, whether it is merited or not,” he said.

    Shortly afterwards, five of the Facebook pages posted identical messages claiming the Voice was seeking to “chill” his right to parody and satirise public officials. 

    “You heard it here first,” the posts read. “The Perth Voice is working on an article it will publish soon, regarding among other things, the political parody and satire this page… embraces.

    “Apparently in the South Ward, some of our elected representatives and hopeful representatives, do not respect this right, believing they are too special to be the subject of these protected rights, and are collaborating with the Perth Voice for this article. 

    “We here … believe in our rights and yours, and will not be intimidated by these threats.”

  • Proudly a but Warhol

    Proudly a but Warhol

    Sioux Tempestt’s tribute to Andy Warhol and Perth’s LGBTQI+ community.

    PRIDE Month’s been marked by a new mural melding the style of gay icon Andy Warhol with local LGBTQI+ people. 

    Warhol was one of the few figures who openly lived as a gay man before the Stonewall riots and the rights revolution of the late 1960s. 

    Local artist Sioux Tempestt painted the mural on North Perth’s Rainbow Community House, with Vincent council funding the mural to support Pride WA. Tempestt says “the artistic style pays homage to Andy Warhol, whose work I greatly admire. The concept invites viewers to embrace LGTBQI+ culture and Warhol’s role as a gay icon”.

    The palette uses the six colours of the Pride flag’s stripes, and Tempestt says referencing Warhol in the piece “acknowledges the importance of identity self expression and the progress the LGBTQI+ movement has made over the years”.

    Lesbians and trans people were pillars of the queer rights movement from day dot. But they were sometimes marginalised from the Gay rights movement and men were often the most visible figures, until recent years when there’s been greater visibility of the full spectrum of LGBTQI+. 

    Tempestt says the faces’ “gender diversity and the various emotive states represent the diverse LGTBQI+ community and the challenges and triumphs experienced. 

    “This direct participation and engagement aims to provide an insight into the local LGTBQI+ community.” 

    The mural is on Rainbow Community House at 4 View Street. 

    by DAVID BELL

  • No change despite close race

    No change despite close race

    Di Bain and Basil Zempilas were rivals for the lord mayoral job in the 2020 campaign, but a year on Mr Zempilas says “Cr Bain will be an outstanding deputy and I look forward to working with her”. Photo via City of Perth.

    A CLOSE race leading to a next-day recount has confirmed Perth city council’s lineup will not change, with incumbents Liam Gobbert, Clyde Bevan, Brent Fleeton, and Viktor Ko returned amid a field of 16 contenders.

    As the lower four winners of the eight who took office at the 2020 election, those councillors had just a one-year term, but have now won full four-year stints.

    It was a close race: An initial count saw Cr Ko getting the fourth seat with 1,302 votes, while contender Raj Doshi was close behind with 1295. 

    Returning officer Steve Tweedie announced an adjournment at around 11pm Saturday night “to allow for a verification of the result and the determination of the outcome of the election”, and a next day recount for October 17 was immediately planned. 

    Fluctuate

    Almost every candidate had their total fluctuate by a few points but the final count saw Cr Ko eke out one more for 1303 while Ms Doshi’s vote dipped to 1291. 

    Cr Gobbert got the high score with 1,793 votes, Cr Bevan got 1705, and Cr Fleeton got 1,654. 

    Lord mayor Basil Zempilas, whose term runs til 2023, said the return of all four incumbents was a “massive vote of confidence in our team”, saying the council elected 12 months ago “has done exactly what we said we would do – work cooperatively, responsibly and transparently for the people of Perth”.

    After being sworn in councillors elected Di Bain to be deputy mayor, taking over from Sandy Anghie.

    Compared to the gift-a-thon that was the 2020 lord mayoral election, declared gifts were pretty modest at this non-mayoral election.

    Candidates declared around $134,000 of gifts in 2020 with the lion’s share being gifts to lord mayoral candidates, while the declared gift total this time was $15,500. 

    by DAVID BELL

  • Status quo at Stirling

    Status quo at Stirling

    Mayor Mark Irwin and new deputy mayor Stephanie Proud.

    THE wall of incumbency didn’t wobble at Stirling council’s election with all sitting councillors who re-contested their seats being returned.

    Elizabeth Re defended her Doubleview spot, Karlo Perkov has Hamersley again, Bianca Sandri’s staying in Inglewood, and Suzanne Migdale maintained her Lawley mantle. 

    Lawley contender Paul Collins came the closest of anyone to unseating a current councillor, getting 1,970 votes to Cr Migdale’s 2,079.

    On Saturday night he congratulated Cr Migdale and reflected “an incumbent Lawley ward councillor has not been defeated since 1978”, but said he’d continue to be active on the local scene. 

    Of the wards with no re-contesting councillors, past candidate Teresa Olow returned to win Osborne ward, former state Liberal party MP Tony Krsticevic took the coastal ward seat in a three-way race, and Andrea Creado won in Balga’s four-candidate contest. 

    Councillors have now voted Stephanie Proud to be deputy to mayor Mark Irwin.

    by DAVID BELL

  • I’m no anti-vaxxer, but…

    I’m no anti-vaxxer, but…

    ANDREA ROWE is an osteopath of 17 years’ clinical practice with eight years of tertiary level study and two health science degrees. She owns and runs a private community clinic which provides employment for nine West Australians and serves thousands in their health choices. She is not an anti-vaxxer, as she and her three children are fully vaccinated under all prior WA health department schedules. 

    DID you know that on Friday October 1, 2021, over 400 government healthcare workers held a peaceful protest outside the health department at the changes affecting their employment regarding the mandate to have the Covid-19 vaccine?

    These Tier 1 frontline care nurses and doctors will risk a fine of up to $20,000 if they enter a public health care department building.  

    In what appears to be a divide and conquer strategy, subsequent health department workers risk the same from November and December 1.

    That’s administrative staff, cleaners, canteen workers, lab technicians.

    For choosing to not take an un-trialled medication with widespread, international reports of adverse reactions, they will lose their ability to continue working. 

    A vaccine which does not prevent contraction or transmission of Covid-19. 

    These concerns are not held only by conspiracy theorists looking for spiritual validation as Kim Myint infers in his article. 

    They are the scientific opinions of many immunologists, vaccinologists and medical doctors worldwide.  

    Including Dr Robert Malone who invented MRNA technology and Dr Michael Yeadon who was vice president of Pfizer for 16 years.  

    Both express grave concerns on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and can explain in detail how the concept of herd immunity being provided once we reach a magical figure of 80 or 90 per cent vaccination rates is completely unfounded in science. 

    133 UK medical doctors and health workers sent a letter to their government on August 22 outlining their concerns on the false assumptions the pandemic response was based upon.  

    A week later, the UK government voted against instituting vaccine passports. http://www.covid19assembly.org/. 

    In a NSW unfair dismissal case of an aged care worker refusing a flu vaccine, the Fair Work Commission decision paper (under Fair Work act 2009 s 604 – Appeal of Decision in the Case of Jennifer Kimber v Sapphire Coast Community aged Care Ltd (C2021/2676)) on September 27 2021 made several points verifying these statements and concerns.

    They include:

    • Part 2, 105 – The stated position of the Australian government is that the (Covid) vaccine is Voluntary. Mandatory Vaccination can not be justified; 

     • Part 2, 113 – Covid vaccines are not designed to stop Covid;

    • They are only provisionally approved for use in Australia and are accordingly still part of a clinical trial; 

    • There are side effects to the Covid vaccines that are now known. That side effects exist is not a conspiracy theory; 

    • The long-term effects of the Covid vaccines are unknown, and this is recognised by the TGA in Australia;

    • Consent is required for participation in clinical trials;

    • Part 2, 115 Coercion is not consent. Coercion is the practice of persuading someone to do something under force or threats. Some have suggested that there is no coercion in threatening a person with dismissal and withdrawing their ability to participate in society, if that person does not have the Covid vaccine. However, nothing could be further from the truth;

    • Part 2, 117 – 129 cover the international laws on informed consent being potentially breached by mandatory vaccinations in the workplace; and,

    • Part 2, 139 states critically there is another alternative to vaccines to assist employers in meeting their WHS obligations, that being testing. Given that there is no doubt that those who are fully vaccinated can catch and transmit the virus, testing (whether rapid antigen or otherwise) will provide employers with a level of comfort that a worker does not have Covid and therefore will not transmit Covid to others (that being the risk that is to be managed) in the workplace.

    On the basis of these concerns I would request as a West Australian health worker and citizen that the directive on mandatory vaccination for WA health care workers be reversed and these workers be allowed to continue working in their professional roles. 

    They are not a risk to the population. There is no pandemic of the unvaccinated. 

    We are in the midst of a fear-fuelled misinformation agenda. 

    These people and other industry workers under the same pressures are not a danger to anyone else. They are West Australians who want to provide for their families and pay their mortgages. 

    There is a basis for having vaccine hesitancy that is not a conspiracy.

    If current rates of vaccination are indicative, approximately 50 per cent of Australians hold concerns and have valid questions that their GPs can not answer.

    There is woefully little open discussion of these questions within the mainstream media. Anyone raising them is painted as a dangerous extremist rather than a thinking, reading individual seeking to find information to make informed consent.

    I would also like to state that there are ethical and legal issues with any business in Western Australia being encouraged to discriminate employment and regulate customer entry within their business on the basis of vaccination status.

    Business owners can not provide informed consent on medications.

    They also may be vulnerable legally should the vaccine prove to be less than safe in future.

  • Leedy treat

    Leedy treat

    • The Re Store in Leederville can be traced all the way back to Giuseppe Re’s deli in Fremantle in 1904 (below).

    TO say The Re Store in Perth has a rich family history is a massive understatement.

    The roots of the delicatessen stretch back to 1885 when Giuseppe Re immigrated from Italy to Sydney.

    In 1894 he was lured to WA by the Kalgoorlie gold rush, but saw another business opportunity and opened a deli in Fremantle, selling provisions to miners.

    Giuseppe and his wife Carolina had a whopping 10 sons and the second eldest Giovanni (John) opened a grocery store in 1936 on the corner of Lake and Aberdeen streets in Northbridge – the original Re Store.

    John began roasting coffee under the brand Braziliano, designing the logo and artwork, and it went on to become one of the biggest sellers in Perth and can still be found in cafes and restaurants around town.

    Today The Re Store is still owned and run by the third generation of the family.

    That history is reflected in the kitsch sign outside its Leederville deli, halfway up Oxford Street.

    The store looks like an inner-city minimart from the 1970s with a small carpark, terracotta tiled roof and a large unapologetic sign.

    It also reminded me of the minimarts I frequented on Italian holidays in the 1980s and 90s.

    On Tuesday lunchtime, the car park was super busy and slightly chaotic with hungry office workers doing a merry dance with a stream of parking cars. 

    At times it was like Wacky Races meets Two Greedy Italians.

    It was clearly a popular spot for lunch, with everyone from suited office workers to tradies emerging from the store with large continental rolls so big they could double as a police truncheon. 

    I made a beeline for the deli counter and sized up the made-to-order continental rolls, which were a bargain at about $5 with fillings including salami, coppa, prosciutto, tuna and mortadella.

    There was also a mass of toppings to chose from like eggplant strips, artichokes and sliced olives.

    I went for the special pancetta roll with sun-dried tomatoes ($6.90) – a rustic affair stuffed with thin slices of salty pancetta and a heap of sun-dried tomatoes.

    You won’t go hungry after this bad boy and at under $7 it was great value for money.

    The store is a delightful, unapologetic ode to the past with a humungous deli and shelves crammed with imported goodies and produce made on-site.

    I got some freshly made veal chicken tortellini ($13.14) and artichoke and ricotta ravioli ($14.92) to take home for dinner.

    The huge, thin wavy parcels of ravioli reminded my wife of the stingrays she saw at Hamelin Bay on holiday.

    “Gorgeous, super light pasta,” she noted.

    “Once you have fresh pasta like this you never want to go back to the dried stuff in the supermarket.”

    “The tortellini is just as good with a subtle veal and chicken filling.”

    We also got some huge mushroom and spinach arancini ($5.95 each) and a vanilla cannoli ($5.50) to round things off.

    The arancini had a lovely rich gooey filling, while the cannoli tasted as good as it looked with a crisp tube and decadent filling.

    The Re Store is one of the biggest independent liquor shops in WA, and there is a mind boggling array of booze at the far end of the shop, where they conduct wine nights and tastings.

    The deli has a rich heritage and you can feel the buzz and history as you walk around the store.

    Well worth checking out for lunch and some take-home dishes.

    The Re Store
    231 Oxford St, Leederville
    the-re-store.com.au

    by STEPHEN POLLOCK

  • Dark laughs

    Dark laughs

    MC Krewd is one of the black comedies showing at A World of Dark Comedy 4. 

    THE STRANGE times we are living in are about to get even stranger when A World of Dark Comedy comes to town on November 4.

    Now in its fourth year, the Perth film festival screens comedy shorts from around the world that feature gallows humour and dark, uneasy laughs.

    Festival director Greg Coffey says this year’s flicks push the boundaries of black humour, but covid has prompted some directors to create touching works.

    “The great thing about covid (yes there is one) is that filmmakers are now making tighter productions without big teams or locations, and surprisingly more films with an intimate human quality,” he says.

    “This year we have 14 films from all over the world and our second from Iran – watch out for this country’s growing film contribution. 

    “Oh, and France knocks it out of the park for their twisted prowess.”

    One of the most memorable on-screen characters is MC Krewd, a single mother of eight living in the govie flats of Canberra.

    Clad in denim shorts, fish net tights and a gratuitous platinum blonde wig, the wannabe hip hop artist, philosopher and defender of the outcasts stars in The Krewd Party.

    Watch through gritted teeth as a documentary crew come to film MC Krewd hosting a barbecue for neighbours, but she has other plans to get her voice heard…

    If you enjoy films that are like Russian dolls, then Broccoli will be right up your street.

    It’s dinner time and young Blade won’t eat his broccoli, so mum decides to tell him a cautionary tale from her childhood about the time she lost a hand to her father for not eating her broccoli.

    Within that story, her father tells another cautionary tale about how he lost his leg to his mother for not eating his broccoli, and she tells a similar tale which continues into another and another and another, ending with the bizarre genesis of this violent family tradition.

    Things get decidedly political in The MP’s Body, a New Zealand film about people dumping dead bodies for the prime minister. 

    Across the pond, the topical US short Forced Parenthood follows Republicans on the verge of eliminating abortion rights.

    The trusted trope of mistaken identity is explored in the French film Catarina, where a jilted husband kidnaps the dog sitter by mistake.

    Cinemagoers who like their humour on the philosophical side will enjoy the Spanish flick Survivors, where natural selection is put to the test when the entire human race becomes stupid.

    Coffey says the dark shorts pull no punches.

    “Man do these films push boundaries – in politics, the possible head-exploding end of humanity,” Coffey laughs.

    “Bravo to all filmmakers; it’s an honour and delight to see their work on the big screen.”

    A World of Dark Comedy 4 is at the Backlot cinema in West Perth from November 4 – 6.

    Tix at darkcomedy.com.au/the-tour/

    By STEPHEN POLLOCK

  • Head turner

    Head turner

    THIS luxury apartment has some of the best views in Perth.

    Situated in the aptly-named Panorama Apartments overlooking Langley Park, you have uninterrupted 180 degree views of the Swan River, Narrows Bridge, Kings Park and Elizabeth Quay.

    And boy does this two bedroom two bathroom apartment make the most of that stunning vista, with a massive 20sqm entertainer’s balcony.

    It’s the perfect spot for sunset drinks and nibbles, or as a place to mingle and enjoy the views during a dinner party.

    The inside of this apartment doesn’t disappoint either with gorgeous large floor tiles complementing the neutral colour scheme and natural wood in the kitchen.

    The interior decor and colour scheme is elegant yet slightly laidback, hinting you’re only a short drive from the beach and live in a coastal city.

    The renovated kitchen has stone benchtops and sleek Miele appliances, with the wooden cupboards and drawers contrasting nicely with the sharp lines and edges. The carpeted main bedroom has balcony access and is an absolute cracker with views of the river – imagine waking up on a Sunday morning to that peaceful vista or watching the neon lights glow in the distance at night.

    If you’ve got loads of clothes, don’t worry this bedroom has a massive walk-through robe with plenty of space for all those Manolo shoes and Gucci bags.

    The ensuite has a lovely marble-style benchtop with two vanities, a huge mirror, bath tub and a spacious shower. It’s a nice place that feels cool and relaxing.

    The second bathroom has built-in robes and also has balcony access. There’s plenty of living space (127sqm) in this apartment with room for a study nook and a large seperate laundry.

    The complex has lots of resort-style facilities to enjoy including a gym, stunning 18th floor pool, and a Sky Terrace with dining and lounge facilities and amazing views, making it perfect for networking with work colleagues or informal meetings.

    This seventh floor apartment has loads of features including air con, a store room and secured gate parking for two cars.

    Situated on Terrace Road in East Perth, it is close to all the delights the city has to offer including Optus Stadium, Elizabeth Quay and Perth Arena, and is only a couple of hundred metres away from bus stops and cafes.

    Offers Above $899,000
    23/42 Terrace Road, East Perth
    Realestate88 9200 6168
    Agent Peter Wright 0438 727 476

  • Backyard click-it

    Backyard click-it

    • Ben Brown’s Clear Night at the Crawley Boatshed.

    THIS year’s Perth Amateur Photographers exhibition will be a decidedly local affair with Covid preventing most Sandgropers from taking snaps outside WA.

    Featuring 150 photos from 47 amateur photographers of all ages and backgrounds, the exhibition has everything from stunning time-lapse shots of Perth to breathtaking snaps of native flora and fauna.

    Organiser and photographer Travis Satur took a mix of intimate and light-hearted portraits for the exhibition, but he says there has been a shift towards landscapes and nature shots.

    • Travis Satur’s photos range from a tender moment between a couple…

    “Lots of the subjects entered into the exhibition were taken locally with our photographers exploring around our own backyard to find the inspiration for our shots,” Mr Satur says.

    “The exhibition is entirely open category so it is perhaps a sign of the times that there is a stronger focus in being out-and-about in nature more and finding interesting subjects closer to home. 

    “I think that is reflected in the fact we have a greater number of landscapes this year over portraits.”

    Mr Satur says they have built on the success of last year’s exhibition, held in Kidogo Art House in Fremantle.

    …to saucy proprietress Ersilia Festa (right) who recently opened a mini Italian deli in the heart of Fremantle.

    “The wider range of backgrounds of our exhibitors is also a big change this year – we have those who have been perfecting their art for over 25 years, mixed with photographers in their first year,” he says.

    “The age demographic is wide from a high school student in the mix up to retired persons. 

    “Last year’s event was a big success with strong numbers coming through the exhibit and viewing the works, even with covid impacting the number of tourists being in Fremantle.“

    The Perth Amateur Photographers exhibition is at Kidogo Art House on Bathers Beach, Fremantle from October 26 – November 1. 

  • Vincent vote paves way for Leedy towers

    Vincent vote paves way for Leedy towers

    VINCENT council has adopted a developer’s “local development plan” paving the way for Leederville’s first high-rise towers.

    Hatch and RobertsDay have proposed transforming the block next to WaterCorp in Frame Court into a 25-storey and 17-storey mix of residential, commercial and community spaces.

    At Tuesday’s meeting, the council adopted the plan with some minor amendments to increase the amount of deep soil plantings and allow some of the money set aside for public art to be used to create a community arts space.

    “There are big changes afoot for Leederville,” mayor Emma Cole said.

    Ms Cole said questions had been raised about why the council was adopting a developer’s plan when it had recently adopted its own precinct plan for Leederville, but she noted the latter was yet to be endorsed by the state’s planning tsars.

    The precinct plan allows a maximum height of 23 storeys if a developer provides enough community benefits, but Ms Cole said despite being two storeys higher, the Frame Court development was about 10 centimetres below the council’s proposed ceiling.

    Commending Leederville Connect for its interest in creating an interface with the neighbourhood at ground level, Ms Cole said Leederville was shaping up as a “place of great opportunity and place for residents to live.

    “I think it does present a new way of thinking for developers to actually look at something that is not time limited but has an ongoing commitment to community space,” she said.

    Deputy mayor Susan Gontaszewski successfully moved an amendment to have the deep soil areas of the development increased, despite a concern from the city’s planners it would make creating meeting places and a town centre more difficult

    Cr Dan Loden seconded the motion and said a bit of creative planning would solve the issue.

    “We don’t sit in any of our town centres and go ‘oh geez, we’ve got too many trees here, we really need to cut some of them down to give people more space to walk around,” Cr Loden said.

    Cr Gontaszewski also moved to allow some of the money that’s mandated for public art to be used for managing an arts space within the development.

    Opportunity

    “I do think it is really important that we see the percent for art funds used to fund the production of actual art, and simply having a space for art and a person that is curating an arts space does not a piece of art or a series of artworks make,” she said.

    Cr Josh Topelberg was less convinced, but his argument that the arts space was expected to provide a return for the developer so they’d have to employ someone to manage the space anyway didn’t sway any of his colleagues.

    He was broadly supportive of the development but is holding back his cheers until he sees more detail.

    “I think some of the finer grain desires, or advocacy, from the landowner and the vision for the site and what it will return to the community will only be borne out in the final development application,” Cr Topelberg said.

    by STEVE GRANT