“May you always live by your passions, propelled by the wind of freedom.”
Are the philosophical words of now-former Gucci Creative Director Alessandro Michele as he said ‘arrivederci’ to the fashion house. He’s been credited with bringing the brand back into relevance during his 7-year stint – not to mention creating many incredible red carpet moments…
Giddy-up… It’s the Victorian election
THE SQUIZ
It’s been more than 6 months since the last election in Australia – so we’re chafing at the bit for tomorrow’s Victorian election… Premier Daniel Andrews is the nation’s longest-serving incumbent leader, and his Labor government is hoping to secure a 3rd term. They’re up against the Liberals’ Matthew Guy and his Coalition opposition, making it a re-run of the 2018 state election. So let’s do this…
GIVE ME THE NUMBERS…
Alright, be patient…
The Legislative Assembly is where the action is – like with the House of Reps in the federal parliament, whoever commands a majority there forms the government. And in Victoria’s 88-seat lower house, at least 45 seats = a majority.
Going in, Labor has 55 seats, and the Coalition has 27. Rounding it out, there are 3 Greens and 3 independents.
More than 1.5 million people have already cast their votes from 4,394,465 enrolled voters. That’s more than ever, and some reckon that half of those eligible will vote early. There are many reasons why people go ahead of election day, but one theory that’s getting traction is that people have formed strong opinions about who they’re voting for – or against…
SO WHAT’S THE VIBE?
Voters are said to be ‘disengaged’… It’s widely agreed that this election will largely be about Andrews and his government’s handling of the pandemic. But that’s not the only thing… There’s plenty on the policy front and questions of integrity, with both leaders questioned about how they play the political game. As for who will win, respected pollster Kos Samaras reckons Labor will likely lose several seats – but that doesn’t mean the Coalition will win. That’s backed up by ABC’s Antony Green, who says the electorate doesn’t seem enamoured with either major party, and “it leaves room for minor parties and independents to play an important role in the election result.” May the Bunnings drive-thru voting centres run smoothly, and the democracy sausages taste good…
But there’s some way to go until the details are confirmed… On Wednesday, Iran’s state media reported that there are 40 foreign nationals arrested for their involvement in the protests that have rocked the nation. Those include people from France, Sweden, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and Germany. And yesterday, reports said a dual Australian-Iranian citizen has also been imprisoned, but with the regime refusing to recognise dual nationality, they have not had access to consular support. The Department of Foreign Affairs says it “holds concerns” for the individual who has not been named. It also says it’s “not aware” of the person’s involvement in the widespread demonstrations. Australia has not imposed any sanctions on Iran in response to the state’s violent crackdown on demonstrators. Former prisoner/academic Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert says that’s the wrong approach.
Thousands of Scottish protesters are making their displeasure at the UK’s Supreme Court decision on the process for independence known. Yesterday, it ruled that the Scottish Parliament can’t hold another independence referendum without Westminster’s consent – the UK’s parliament has to green-light it. It was in 2014 that Scotland – which has been part of the UK since the 18th century – rejected the prospect of leaving the union by a vote of 55% against and 45% in favour. Recent polls indicate that Scots now back independence in light of Brexit – which the majority of Scottish voters opposed. The UK’s incumbent Conservative Party doesn’t support Scottish independence, so it’s unlikely a fresh referendum will be allowed during this term of government. The next UK election is not due until 2024, so Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says that will be a “de facto referendum” on its bid to break free.
Measles are now “an imminent threat in every region of the world“, with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday urging nations to act. A new joint report warns that millions of children worldwide are at risk of catching the highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease after a record 40 million kids missed a vaccine dose last year due to COVID disruptions. Measles requires a childhood vaccination uptake of 95% to prevent outbreaks, but in 2021 about 81% got their first measles jab, and 71% got their 2nd dose – the lowest rates since 2008. Officials said there were 9 million global measles infections and 128,000 deaths in 2021, with more than 95% of fatalities occurring in Africa and Asia. Here in Oz, cases are rare, but officials have to be vigilant.
Most Aussies didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving yesterday, but that won’t stop us from shopping up a storm, as US-inspired Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales promise to be bigger than ever. Last year, we spent $6 billion in a 4-day frenzy, and despite rising interest rates, the Aussie Retailers Association expects we’ll shell out $200 million more this year. That makes them twice as big as the Boxing Day sales… And while it can be an opportunity to save money, the official watchdog warns that some retailers exaggerate how much of a bargain something is. That’s echoed by retail psychology expert Dr Melissa Norberg, who says we shouldn’t get sucked into overspending due to FOMO, buying things we don’t need, or worse still, can’t afford. So if you don’t need a 5th pair of white sneakers, maybe cool it. That’s some good self-talk right there…
Australia will soon have an answer to the Doomsday Vault in Norway (the failsafe collection of thousands of seeds in case of catastrophic environmental disaster). But ours is even better because it’s specifically for wine… Samples of our 25 most valuable grape varieties will be sent to 2 high-security vaults to future-proof their existence, ensuring we’ll be sipping them for generations to come. With La Niña continuing to cause havoc for our $40 billion-a-year industry, the plan will see cuttings kept in highly controlled conditions to ensure they can be replanted in the event of an industry-threatening climactic event, pest plague or disease. The man in charge of the National Grapevine Collection is Nick Dry – he notes that 2 sets of the plants will be kept in separate, secret locations to further minimise the risk. The vibe is “little grape vines in test tubes inside a lab.” Cheers to that…
If you have a standard gift you give to your people – this article will speak to you. And potentially give you some ideas to shake up your routine…
Netflix doco-series Pepsi, Where’s My Jet is one of those shows you can pop on when you’re tempted to scroll endlessly for something to watch. It’s about a competition the mega-drinks company ran in the 90s, and one kid’s dream to win the ‘joke’ price – a Harrier jet. Let’s just say it’s a case that’s still cited in legal textbooks…
The Sydney Morning Herald/Age ‘Good Food Guide Awards’ were on the week. Here’s the list of restaurants from all over Australia that were recognised. We were interested in the recipes that focus on hot food trends – and the Murray cod and kingfish crudo are 2 that we’ll definitely take for a spin.
Anniversary of: • the debut of cartoon character Woody Woodpecker in Knock Knock (1940) • the death of Cuban revolutionary and President Fidel Castro (2016)