Sunday, September 11, 2022

Coraki Lismore Floods


Ian McNamara will broadcast his Sunday morning show Australia All Over from Coraki on September 11.

The ABC radio identity known as Macca will broadcast live at the cenotaph in Coraki from 5.30am-10am.

As part of the show Macca will auction a pair of boxing gloves belonging to former world featherweight boxing legend Jean-Pierre ‘Johnny’ Famechon who died this year at the age of 77.



Macca on way to Coraki for live radio show and famous boxing gloves auction



Leonard Moore is the co-star of Bay of Fires, a new eight-part television drama described as a darkly comedic crime series, set on Tasmania's rugged west coast. 

"It's been great to come back to my roots," he said.

"I grew up in Tassie, I never thought I'd have the opportunity to shoot anything here, I've been away for a long time so it's been great to come back."

Leonard Moore lives in New York City, but went to high school and university in Hobart and performed in local theatre productions during that time.

"I love that Tassie's finally getting discovered on camera because you point a camera anywhere and that's a shot, it's beautiful," he said.

Bay of Fires drama sparks winter boom on Tasmania's west coast


If one thing was believed to be a surety straight after the election, it was that former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill was going to London.

With George Brandis leaving the post of High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in April, the new Labor government needed to fill the position.

Multiple Labor sources said Weatherill was a “lock” to get the position back in May. Five months later, the position remains vacant, and they now say he has ruled himself out of the job.

Weatherill and his family have settled in Perth. The former premier is working at Andrew Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation and is said to be enjoying the job.

But, also, since the federal election, the scandal over the appointment of the former NSW Nationals leader, John Barilaro, to a $500,000-per-year trade job in New Yorkhas brought renewed scrutiny on political appointments to diplomatic positions.


The outrage over Barilaro’s appointment – which he later withdrew from – was related to the fact that the NSW government egregiously stymied the independent process that was set up to choose the best candidate.


This has shone a light on the situation in Canberra where there is no independent process at all. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recommends to the government internal candidates for head of missions, but there is no formal procedure to recommend external appointments. The Foreign Minister just does it, and the choice is more often than not from the same political party.

Weatherill, who dated Penny Wong when he was a young Labor activist and is a long-time political ally of the now Foreign Minister, would still be a top candidate for the London post if he was interested. After all, Labor will still probably go with someone who is close to Wong and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

But after the Barilaro controversy, the Labor government knows it needs to explain any political appointments to the Australian public.

Pollies v career diplomat? Who is best suited for plum foreign postings - Jay Weatherill looked a shoe-in for plum London job, now he’s out of the running