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As Scott Morrison leaves parliament, where does he rank among Australian prime ministers?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-strangio-1232">Paul Strangio</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p>This week Scott Morrison, Australia’s 30th prime minister, will deliver his valedictory speech to the House of Representatives. As Morrison leaves parliament, it’s timely to ask where he is placed in the pantheon of Australia’s national leaders.</p> <p>Already there have been unflattering verdicts on Morrison’s prime-ministerial standing. For example, in her withering account of his leadership, veteran columnist and author <a href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/bulldozed-9781922585981">Niki Savva writes</a> that among detractors, “Morrison was regarded as the worst prime minister since Billy McMahon”. Moreover, according to Savva, following the August 2022 revelation of his commandeering of five ministries during the COVID pandemic, his reputation sunk still lower: “he was worse than McMahon. Worse even than Tony Abbott, who lasted a scant two years in the job”.</p> <h2>How can we rank prime ministerial performance?</h2> <p>How might we know how Morrison’s record stacks up against his prime-ministerial peers? One device for evaluating comparative leadership performance is expert rankings. Australia has had a slow take-up in this field, unlike the United States, where presidential rankings have a lineage stretching back three-quarters of a century and are a veritable scholarly cottage industry.</p> <p>In recent years, there have been forays into this territory in Australia, with three prime-ministerial rankings conducted by newspapers and two initiated by Monash University in 2010 and 2020. (I was the organiser of both of these Monash rankings.)</p> <p>These rankings have been largely consistent in their results. The experts, mostly political historians and political scientists, have judged the nation’s greatest prime minister to be its second world war leader, John Curtin. The other leaders in the top echelon are, in rough order, Bob Hawke, Ben Chifley, Alfred Deakin, Robert Menzies, Andrew Fisher, John Howard, Paul Keating and Gough Whitlam.</p> <p>At the other end of the scale, Billy McMahon, who is chiefly remembered for being defeated by Labor’s Whitlam at the December 1972 election, thereby bringing to a close the Liberal Party’s postwar ascendancy, has been consistently rated Australia’s prime-ministerial dunce. Even his biographer, Patrick Mullins, acknowledges that McMahon has become “a by-word for failure, silliness, ridicule”.</p> <p>However, in the most recent of the rankings, the Monash 2020 survey, McMahon had a close competitor for bottom place: Tony Abbott. Forty-four out of 66 respondents to that survey assessed Abbott’s prime ministership a failure. Other prime ministers to the rear of the field included Abbott’s contemporaries, Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull.</p> <p>Morrison was not included in the 2020 rankings because as the incumbent his prime ministership was incomplete, and so it was premature to evaluate his performance. Let us now, though, measure his record against the nine benchmarks that the experts were asked to consider in rating the nation’s leaders.</p> <h2>So how does Morrison shape up?</h2> <p>The first is “effectively managing cabinet”. To date, little has been disclosed about the integrity of cabinet processes under Morrison’s stewardship. Yet, whatever the merits of that management, his scandalous breach of the norms of cabinet government by <a href="https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-the-bell-report-on-morrisons-multi-ministries-provides-a-bad-character-reference-195368">secretly assuming several ministries</a> will irretrievably stain his reputation in this regard.</p> <p>Next is “maintaining support of Coalition/party”. That Morrison avoided being deposed by his party, which was the fate of his immediate predecessors (Rudd, Julia Gillard, Abbott and Turnbull), counts in his favour. As the ABC docuseries Nemesis shows, however, his prime ministership was marked by serious frictions both within the Liberal Party and between the Liberal and National coalition partners.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gLXdXUwGrJs?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>“Demonstrating personal integrity”. This was not one of Morrison’s strong suits. As Savva makes searingly evident, and Nemesis also highlights, Morrison earned a reputation for being economical with the truth (including hiding his acquisition of colleagues’ ministries), for evading accountability and shifting blame (“I don’t hold a hose, mate”), and for corrupted processes under his watch (an example being the <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-sports-rort-questions-for-morrison-after-bridget-mckenzie-speaks-out-133160">shameless pork-barrelling</a> of the community sport infrastructure program in the lead-up to the 2019 election).</p> <p>“Leaving a significant policy legacy”. Here Morrison is partly damned by his own words. In office, he insisted he was not concerned about his legacy, equating the idea with a vanity project. Indeed, an obsession with the theatre of politics and a corresponding lack of substance caused his prime ministership to come to be seen as bereft of purpose.</p> <p>On the other hand, management of the COVID pandemic, however mixed, accords a significance to his time in office. AUKUS stands as the other major legacy of Morrison’s prime ministership, entrenched as it has been by his successor, Anthony Albanese. The agreement promises to influence Australia’s defence capability until the middle of this century and beyond, although only time will tell whether it enhances the nation’s security or is a dangerous white elephant.</p> <p>“Relationship with the electorate”. Morrison’s record here is mixed. In his favour, he won an election (something McMahon couldn’t claim). Yet, by the time of the 2022 election, according to the Australian Election Study, he was the least popular major party leader in the history of that survey, which dates back to the 1980s.</p> <p>His public toxicity was a primary factor in the Coalition’s defeat, one of his Liberal colleagues comparing the depth of public sentiment against the prime minister in 2022 to “having a 10,000-tonne boulder attached to your leg”.</p> <p>“Communication effectiveness”. Styling himself as a Cronulla Sharks-supporting “daggy dad” from the suburbs, at least initially Morrison’s communication mode seemed to be well received in the community. He was relentlessly on message during the 2019 election campaign.</p> <p>But the shine rapidly wore off his persona following that victory, with growing doubts about his authenticity. Rather than persuade, his habit was to hector, and rather than empathise, he exuded smugness. A series of notorious tin-eared statements, which especially alienated women voters, came to define his image. By the end he was known as the “bulldozer-in-chief”.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yamdw5VeNtA?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>“Nurturing national unity”. An innovation of Morrison’s at the beginning of the pandemic was the national cabinet. Bringing together the prime minister and premiers, it worked effectively for a time, only for partisan interests over lockdowns to strain relations between Canberra and the states.</p> <p>Under pressure, Morrison also flirted with divisive culture-war politics, instances being his divisive Religious Discrimination Bill and his egregious handpicking of the anti-transgender Liberal candidate Katherine Deves to contest the 2022 election.</p> <p>“Defending and promoting Australia’s interests abroad”. The AUKUS pact has vehement critics, led by Morrison’s prime-ministerial peers Keating and Turnbull, who argue it jeopardises national sovereignty.</p> <p>There is no denying, however, that AUKUS was Morrison’s signature foreign policy enterprise. On the other hand, Australia’s reputation as a laggard on climate change under the Coalition hurt our international standing, not least among Pacific neighbours. The Morrison government’s belated commitment to a net zero carbon emissions by 2050 target was too little, too late. Bellicose rhetoric towards Beijing also led to a deterioration in relations with the nation’s major trading partner (as well as estranging Chinese-Australian voters).</p> <p>“Being able to manage turbulent times”. Here, again, Morrison’s record is at best mixed. In his favour is decisive early actions to ameliorate the COVID pandemic, headed by the JobKeeper program. As the pandemic progressed, however, his government was too often flat-footed, demonstrated by its dilatory approach to procuring vaccines. His response to natural disasters, most notably the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, was another shortcoming, exemplified by his secret holiday to Hawaii in the midst of the crisis. Arguably, his prime ministership was doomed from that moment.</p> <h2>And the verdict?</h2> <p>Prime-ministerial reputations can take time to settle. The passing of years fleshes out historical knowledge as well as providing greater perspective on performance in office. For example, the fate of AUKUS will quite possibly affect Morrison’s standing well into the future.</p> <p>Even allowing for this, it seems safe to forecast that Morrison will be rated among the least distinguished of Australian prime ministers. His government’s relatively successful early management of the COVID pandemic and the legacy of AUKUS might spare him from falling below McMahon and Abbott at the bottom of the prime-ministerial heap. But avoiding that ignominy will probably be a close-run thing.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223003/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-strangio-1232">Paul Strangio</a>, Emeritus professor of politics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-scott-morrison-leaves-parliament-where-does-he-rank-among-australian-prime-ministers-223003">original article</a>.</em></p>

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How does Australia’s health system stack up internationally? Not bad, if you’re willing to wait for it

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-duckett-10730">Stephen Duckett</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p>When things are going bad in the health system, we are reassured we’ve got one of the best health systems in the world. But we’re rarely told where we actually stand relative to others.</p> <p>A <a href="https://www.oecd.org/health/health-at-a-glance/">new report</a> from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows where Australia is doing relatively well – and not so well. The report is more than 200 pages with dozens of charts and tables.</p> <p>Here we highlight five charts showing Australia’s relative performance. Overall, Australia’s health system performs well, but can come after long waits. And our use of antibiotics is trending in the wrong direction.</p> <h2>1. We spend less than average but live longer than average</h2> <p>Despite the rhetoric about the unsustainability of the health system, Australia performs well. When mapping health expenditure against life expectancy, Australia (marked by the red dot) sits in the best performing quadrant – and has done so for the past decade.</p> <p><iframe id="tc-infographic-996" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/996/32f7548791bf05b7559d74976bfa0b955319adc5/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>In contrast, the United States is stuck in the worst performing quadrant for the whole period – significantly higher spending than other countries with worse life expectancy.</p> <p>The life expectancy measure is used here but it involves an implicit assumption that the principal impact on life expectancy is from the health system, which is not really the case. Nevertheless, it is a good measure of overall system performance and combined with spending provides a good measure.</p> <h2>2. Most Australians rate their health as good or very good</h2> <p>The vast majority of Australians (about 85%) rate their health as good or very good, with Australia performing better on this metric than most other similar countries. Often good health is conflated with good health care, and the data show that Australia also has more doctors per head than other countries.</p> <p><iframe id="Ygo7Z" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Ygo7Z/1/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>The founding charter of the World Health Organization (WHO) recognised that health is not just the absence of disease, but a “<a href="https://www.who.int/about/accountability/governance/constitution">state of complete physical, mental and social well-being</a>”. This points to a flaw in the nexus between good health and more health professionals. The WHO focus on well-being helps to explain why it is not surprising that, looking across countries, the number of doctors doesn’t appear to be a key determinant of performance on self-rated health.</p> <h2>3. It’s harder to get a bed in aged care</h2> <p>About 30% of people in OECD countries are over 65, while the Australian proportion is about 20%. The proportion of over-65s is rising everywhere.</p> <p>A minority of older Australians (14%) use aged care, with most of these using home care. However, monitoring access to residential aged care (represented here by the number of long-term care beds per thousand population over 65) might act as a “canary in the coal mine”, highlighting where access problems exist.</p> <p><iframe id="lBe4O" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/lBe4O/1/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>In Australia, access to aged care beds is falling, by about 27% between 2011 and 2021. We started in the middle of the pack so this is a concern and probably contributes to more Australians being stuck in acute hospitals, rather than being in more appropriate accommodation in residential aged care. This “<a href="https://www.ama.com.au/articles/hospital-exit-block-symptom-sick-system">exit block</a>” in turn leads to problems of ambulance ramping.</p> <h2>4. Australians wait too long for public hospital hip replacements</h2> <p>Most publicly funded health systems are characterised by long waiting times for access to planned procedures such as hip replacements. Some waiting is to be expected as part of efficient management of operating theatre scheduling. But long waits, especially when the person is in pain, reflect poorly on management of the public hospital system.</p> <p><iframe id="LNntD" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/LNntD/2/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>The data shows that almost two-thirds of people waiting for hip replacement surgery in Australia waited more than three months. This is marginally worse than the OECD average. Unfortunately, our performance is deteriorating.</p> <p>A number of states, such as <a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/planned-surgery-reform-blueprint">Victoria</a>, have developed strategies to improve the performance of the planned procedure system, or have identified opportunities for <a href="https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+content/sa+health+internet/about+us/about+sa+health/reporting+and+advisory+groups/health+performance+council/health+performance+council+reports">efficiency improvements in public hospitals</a> which would help address this issue.</p> <p>Although it’s understandable that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2049080122011554">planned procedures were affected</a> by the first few years of the COVID pandemic, governments should have adapted their funding and provision systems to bring waiting times back to the pre-pandemic levels.</p> <h2>5. Our use of antibiotics is going in the wrong direction</h2> <p>Antibiotics have saved millions of lives. But public health experts have long recognised the emerging <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance">problem of antimicrobial resistance</a>, where inappropriate use of these drugs can lead to their reduced effectiveness over time.</p> <p>Worldwide campaigns to promote appropriate use of antibiotics are bearing fruit and across the OECD, use of antibiotics is going down.</p> <p>Unfortunately, Australia’s trend is in the reverse direction.</p> <p><iframe id="AK4GO" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/AK4GO/1/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218031/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-duckett-10730">Stephen Duckett</a>, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p><em>Image </em><em>credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-does-australias-health-system-stack-up-internationally-not-bad-if-youre-willing-to-wait-for-it-218031">original article</a>.</em></p>

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No gavels, no hearsay and lots of drinking: a law expert ranks legal dramas by their accuracy

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dale-mitchell-1468293">Dale Mitchell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a></em></p> <p>From Elle Woods in Legally Blonde to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10383441.2015.1087367">Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk</a>, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird to Denny Crane in Boston Legal, our popular culture is often where we first see and witness legal practice.</p> <p>Sometimes this comes via the silver screen, other times television. But it would be wrong to think that all we see on legal television shows is accurate – even when it claims to capture reality.</p> <p>Most legal dramas are terrible at capturing the realities of law.</p> <h2>Not accurate: Law(less) and (dis)Order</h2> <p>Law and Order (1990-) innovated television drama by showcasing both the investigation of a crime by police, and then its prosecution in court. With its multiple spin-offs, including Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (1999-) and the shortlived Law and Order: Trial by Jury (2005-2006) (which had the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aolG65V1Dx8">best theme song of all the series</a>), the Law and Order franchise is a televisual legal juggernaut.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aolG65V1Dx8?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>As with most serials, Law and Order presents the criminal justice system as moving quicker than you can say <em>dun dun</em>. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The mean duration of criminal law matters in Australian higher courts was <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/criminal-courts-australia/latest-release">almost one year</a> (50 weeks) across 2021-22.</p> <p>While <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s5.html">procedural rules in civil matters</a> require courts to facilitate the “just and efficient resolution of disputes at minimum expense”, in criminal law, speed and efficiency must not be prioritised over accuracy: a person’s liberty is at stake.</p> <p>Most criminal matters do not proceed to a full trial as an accused will often plead guilty to the charges. As a result, the matter proceeds to sentencing without prosecutors needing to prove the offence. The rates of this occurring are quite alarming. <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/criminal-courts-australia/latest-release">Data across 2021-22</a> reveals over 75% of defendants in Australian courts entered a guilty plea, and almost four in five criminal convictions (79%) resulted from a guilty plea.</p> <p><a href="https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1705761/32_1_8.pdf">Research suggests</a> defendants plead guilty for a variety of reasons, including to avoid the cost of a trial and to receive a lesser sentence. <a href="https://theconversation.com/pandemic-pushed-defendants-to-plead-guilty-more-often-including-innocent-people-pleading-to-crimes-they-didnt-commit-165056">Data from the United States</a> suggests the pressures of the pandemic led to innocent people pleading guilty to crimes they didn’t commit.</p> <p>If Law and Order was a more accurate reflection of criminal law, matters would proceed immediately to sentencing due to guilty pleas. And should an accused be found guilty, a chunk of their sentence would be reduced by time served awaiting trial.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/60GV5lv8h3o?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Not accurate: Suits</h2> <p>Suits (2011-19) centres around law firm partner Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and his mentorship of Mike Ross (Patrick Adams) – the “lawyer” who never graduated law school and provides legal advice thanks to his photographic memory.</p> <p>This is, obviously, a brutal ethical breach for all involved, and clearly fraud. In Australia, law students who present themselves to be lawyers are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-07/law-graduate-jacob-reichman-fined-posing-solicitor-gold-coast/7824324">subject to sanctions</a> by the Legal Services Commission. They can <a href="https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/biglaw/35821-fake-lawyer-cops-suspended-jail-sentence">cause harm to clients</a> who have hired their services. And the Legal Admissions Board may <a href="https://www.qlsproctor.com.au/2020/11/chief-justice-wants-answers-before-considering-lawyer-impersonators-bid-to-become-legal-practitioner/">deny their entry</a> into the profession.</p> <p>(Spoilers) Ross is eventually sentenced to two years in prison for this fraud, a similar sentence to <a href="https://www.law.com/thelegalintelligencer/almID/1202786675709/">a recent case in the United States</a>, but he only serves three months before solving a crime and earning early release. More unrealistic than this early release is that Ross does fairly quickly thereafter gain admission to the profession, which seems unlikely to occur so soon after such an act of fraud.</p> <p>While Suits has left its mark(le) on the popular imagination of law, it fails to address one of the primary duties of civil litigation: the duty of disclosure.</p> <p>The MacGuffin-ing of law is common in TV serials. It’s the “smoking gun” found on the day of the trial, or for the lawyers in Suits, the random document which shows up <em>during</em> the trial to turn the case - dramatically presented by our protagonists as they flail into court armed with this data sans ethics.</p> <p>This is not quite accurate.</p> <p>In adversarial legal systems like Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US, civil litigation rules <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s211.html">require parties</a> to disclose to one another all documents in their possession or control which are directly relevant to a matter in dispute.</p> <p>This is a continuing duty, so if you discover such a document at any time during the case, it must be disclosed. While <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s212.html">exceptions</a> based on various privileges may apply, this essentially means civil litigation must be run in an “all cards on the table” manner. Randomly producing undisclosed material at trial requires the leave of the court and may result in orders of contempt and <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ucpr1999305/s225.html">cost penalties</a>.</p> <p>It’s not like the lawyers of Suits have ever really been concerned about ethics, though.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wUh9jomHZp4?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Not accurate: How to Get Away with Murder(ing rules of evidence)</h2> <p>While most lawyers would support making it a criminal offence to critique Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder (2014-20) presents one of the most common offences within legal dramas: the haphazard approach to rules of evidence.</p> <p>Annalise Keating (Davis) and her ragtag team of morally illiterate law students (although I never see them studying?!?!) manipulate people to obtain evidence and then dramatically prompt witnesses on the stand to read this information into the record, or otherwise “sneak” it into the trial.</p> <p>This is not accurate. And it ignores the basic reality that so much of legal practice is about not just obtaining evidence, but ensuring that evidence is admissible in court.</p> <p>One of the most important rules of evidence deals with <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ea199580/s59.html"><em>hearsay evidence</em></a>. A court cannot allow evidence to be considered if its reliability is unable to be interrogated. Witnesses can only present evidence that they saw, heard or perceived themselves. Unless an exception to the hearsay rule applies, such evidence would be inadmissible.</p> <p>Like in Suits, these approaches to presenting evidence may have serious implications. This poor trial management results in <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/rpp074.pdf">delays to criminal trials.</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rMB_Gw5-T-I?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Accurate: Fisk</h2> <p>Fisk (2021-) follows Helen Tudor-Fisk (Kitty Flanagan), an established contract lawyer whose personal dramas lead her to move to the boutique Melbourne probate law firm of Gruber and Gruber (played by Marty Sheargold and Julia Zamero).</p> <p>Fisk excels in showing the importance of lawyer-client relations and the word-of-mouth that sustains much of small legal practice. It’s the anti-Suits, and Fisk is more powerful for it.</p> <p>The discussions of wills and estates and most basic legal principles in Fisk are mostly sound – and the show doesn’t need to get into “legalese” as matters are resolved out-of-court.</p> <p>This is a distinct reality of law: litigation is a last resort. Forms of <a href="https://www.qls.com.au/Practising-law-in-Qld/ADR/Alternative-Dispute-Resolution/Types-of-Alternative-Dispute-Resolution-(ADR)">alternative dispute resolution</a>, including mediation, negotiation and conciliation, have become the primary way of resolving legal disputes.</p> <p>Fuelled by <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/alternative-dispute-resolution/civil-dispute-resolution-act-2011">legislative changes</a> which require the exhaustion of alternative dispute resolution measures before proceeding to litigation, and a pursuit of reduced costs, the drama of trial is not something anyone should yearn for.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N1Qt0Wo1gGo?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Accurate: Rake</h2> <p>Cleaver Greene, a character said to be loosely based on the career of a Sydney barrister, shows us the absolute madness of work as a “<a href="https://nswbar.asn.au/the-bar-association/senior-counsel#:%7E:text=Senior%20counsel%20are%20barristers%20who,a%20QC%20or%20queen's%20counsel.">silk</a>”. Rake excels at showing the reality of law. The show raises interesting and accurate questions of law (yes, it is true there is no <a href="https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/18992/1/2011006119.pdf">explicit offence</a> of cannibalism in New South Wales) and presents Australian court process accurately.</p> <p>Thankfully, there’s not a gavel in sight. <a href="https://www.survivelaw.com/post/941-working-hardly-random-facts-about-the-gavel">Australian courts <em>do not</em> use gavels</a>, and their presence in legal dramas in Australian and UK courts shows a lack of attention to detail. The presence of the gavel as a symbol of justice is <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/NSWBarAssocNews/1994/17.pdf">an entirely American invention</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qWWI2EdOssk?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Rake is accurate, in part, because the site of drama is rarely the courtroom, but rather Greene’s personal life. The accuracy of that element for law I will leave up to the jury. But with a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13218719.2013.822783">2014 study</a> finding 35% of lawyers engaged in hazardous or harmful drinking and another showing <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-15/study-finds-high-rates-anxiety-depression-in-legal-profession/11412832">high rates of anxiety and depression</a> in the legal profession, the evidence is compelling.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212880/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dale-mitchell-1468293"><em>Dale Mitchell</em></a><em>, Lecturer in Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-gavels-no-hearsay-and-lots-of-drinking-a-law-expert-ranks-legal-dramas-by-their-accuracy-212880">original article</a>.</em></p>

Legal

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World’s best beaches revealed

<p dir="ltr">Whether you prefer to spend your days lounging on the sand with a cocktail in hand, or diving beneath the surf on an underwater adventure, it’s important to find the right location to suit all of your holiday needs. </p> <p dir="ltr">And thanks to TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards, it has never been easier to narrow down your selection from the world’s 25 best beaches, and to lock in that next dream getaway.</p> <p dir="ltr">Coming in at 25th is Greece’s gorgeous Balos Lagoon, though it isn’t the only contender that brought the country success in the rankings - Falassarna Beach secured the 21st position, too. </p> <p dir="ltr">In 24th to 22nd came St Thomas’s Magens Bay, Isla Mujeres’ Playa Norte, and Cyprus’ Nissi Beach. And for the next ten spots, the ocean vistas were a sight to behold, and beloved by travellers from all across the globe.  </p> <p dir="ltr">At number 20 on the list was Tanzania’s Nungwi Beach. Next up came Brazil’s Ipanema Beach, then Costa Rica’s Playa Manuel Antonio, Spain’s Playa de Muro Beach, Bali’s Kelingking Beach, Spain’s La Concha Beach, Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach, Australia’s Manly Beach, Georgia’s “haunting” Driftwood Beach, and Florida’s Siesta Beach. </p> <p dir="ltr">From there came the top 10, each boasting spectacular views, sparkling sands, and mesmerising waters. </p> <p dir="ltr">10th place went to Hawaii’s Ka’anapali Beach, perfect for those in search of a “place to find our peace!”</p> <p dir="ltr">9th went to Cuba’s “postcard perfect” Varadero Beach. </p> <p dir="ltr">8th to the Islands of Sicily’s Spiaggia dei Conigli, described by one traveller as “one of the marvels of the world.”</p> <p dir="ltr">7th to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ Radhanager Beach, which begs the question “what’s not to like?”</p> <p dir="ltr">6th place went to Portugal’s “white sand beach that seemingly stretches forever” Praia da Falesia. </p> <p dir="ltr">Opening the top five was Providenciales’ Grace Bay Beach, a spot that’s been known to excite many who have the opportunity to visit. </p> <p dir="ltr">From there came Iceland’s stunning and “trapped inside a dream” Reynisfjara Beach, for those looking for something a little different. </p> <p dir="ltr">Australia got another honour with Cable Beach in third place, a location known for its opportunities “to sightsee, walk, swim, rock pool, and watch the sunset.” </p> <p dir="ltr">The “tranquil and pristine” Eagle Beach in Aruba secured second spot.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, the honour of World’s Best Beach went to Brazil’s “beautiful [and] remote” Baia do Sancho. The top location not only boasts breathtaking views and a quieter experience, but also a little fun for those who want an experience en route - a steep path, complete with stones and ladders, keeps this spot safe from the masses. </p> <p dir="ltr">See the <a href="https://www.gq.com.au/lifestyle/travel/worlds-best-beaches/image-gallery/e2715cbdf7b9c622b0d0955cedf5c6c0">full list of winners</a> here. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

International Travel

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World’s 99 best - and worst - tourist attractions unveiled

<p dir="ltr">The world’s top 99 tourist attractions have been ranked, providing people all across the globe with an answer to questions over where they should go next to avoid disappointment. </p> <p dir="ltr">The rankings, compiled by Stasher’s data analysts, took into consideration the likes of online reviews, the quality of local accommodation, distance from international airports, safety for tourists drawn from each country’s Global Peace index rating, and popularity on social media apps like Tiktok. Using this information, each destination was then given a score out of 10, and ranked accordingly. </p> <p dir="ltr">In last place, with a dreadful score of 3.42/10, was Los Angeles’ Hollywood Walk of Fame. Unfortunately for the attraction, this is not the first time it’s taken home the wooden spoon - in 2019, Stasher’s first study placed it at the bottom of the list too. </p> <p dir="ltr">Turkey’s Grand Bazaar came in at #98 with a score of 3.48 - being one of the world’s oldest shopping centres has not proven enough to wow the tourists who stop by. The Taj Mahal, with its distance of 219km from an international airport, took out the 97th spot with 3.83. </p> <p dir="ltr">The USA’s Busch Gardens and South Korea’s Lotte World rounded out the bottom five as #96 and #95 respectively. The former was declared to have the worst quality of local accommodations, and received a score of 4.52. Lotte World fared only slightly better with 4.8 to its name. </p> <p dir="ltr">Things went better for the world’s top 10, and although Australia fell a little short, New Zealand made it to #9 with the Museum of New Zealand claiming 6.9 points. Meanwhile, the Sydney Opera House came in at #17 with 6.67.</p> <p dir="ltr">The third best place in the world to go on holiday? Iceland’s geo-thermal Blue Lagoon. With an overall score of 7.5, this stunning location sees thousands of tourists stop by each year to swim in the blue water in search of its alleged healing and rejuvenating capabilities. </p> <p dir="ltr">In second place was, surprisingly, Disneyland Paris. The resort destination boasts popularity on TikTok, and is considered to have some top quality local accommodation. Additionally, reviews for Disneyland Paris are overwhelmingly positive, leading to an overall score of 7.17. </p> <p dir="ltr">And in first place, taking home the title of the World’s Best Tourist Attraction, was the Hungarian Parliament Building. The building - a majestic sight on its own - received a score of 7.34. Neo-gothic and overlooking the River Danube, it houses Hungary’s National Assembly, and is considered to be one of the city’s must-see tourist spots. </p> <p dir="ltr">To help drive home its ranking, the site’s online reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with 93.4% of them falling into the categories of “Very Good” and “Excellent”. Furthermore, local accommodation is good, and Hungary boasts a reassuring safety rating of 1.4 out of 5.</p> <p dir="ltr">Check out the <a href="https://blog.stasher.com/stasher-reveals-the-worlds-best-worst-tourist-attractions/">full list here</a> to start dreaming up your next getaway. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty, Shutterstock</em></p>

International Travel

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World’s coolest neighbourhoods ranked

<p dir="ltr">Travelling to a new destination gives us plenty to explore - from the tourist hotspots to the hidden gems found off the beaten track - and it’s these latter spots that have been ranked, with <em>Time Out</em> releasing its <a href="https://www.timeout.com/travel/coolest-neighbourhoods-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">51 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World</a> for 2022.</p> <p dir="ltr">The fifth annual listing, created after surveying 20,000 city-dwellers and relying on expert input, is made up of “incredible places to be right now”, according to <em>Time Out</em> editors.</p> <p dir="ltr">While we might not have cracked the top ten, there was still plenty of representation from Australia and New Zealand.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fitzroy, Melbourne, took out the highest spot in 27th place, earning the “distinction of the second coolest street in the world” thanks to the retail stores, galleries, pubs, bars and cafes lining Gertrude Street.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sydney’s Marrickville came in close behind at No. 33, garnering praise for its “healthy dose of creative colour”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kingsland, Auckland, came in 43rd, followed by Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, which scraped in at No. 47.</p> <p dir="ltr">The top of the list featured spots in Portugal, Cambodia, the US, Japan and Canada, with Colonia Americana, in the western Mexico city of Guadalajara, being crowned the coolest of them all.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Time Out</em> travel editor James Manning said Guandalajara is an emerging “must-visit” spot, with Colonia Americana being “the place to be right now”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It's home to a boundary-pushing creative community, a growing number of amazing places to eat, and some of the best nightlife in the western hemisphere. And the street life is unbeatable,” he said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following in second place is Lisbon’s riverside Cais do Sodré, a long-time hub for nightlife that is becoming a foodie hotspot.</p> <p dir="ltr">Third place was claimed by Wat Bo Village in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Following a “serious glow-up” in the surrounding area over the past year, highlights include boutique hotels and the restaurant Tevy’s Place, which slings organic meals and works to empower local women.</p> <p dir="ltr">The first US entry, New York City’s suburb of Ridgewood, took fourth place, followed by Mile End in Montreal, Canada, at No. 5.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dave Calhoun, <em>Time Out</em>’s chief content officer for North America and the UK, said the goal of the annual list was to spotlight areas that aren’t “homogenised, corporate destinations” and have “an independent and welcoming vibe” instead.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You may be able to walk across them in half an hour or less but they are packed with enough experiences to spend days exploring," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The top ten list of Time Out’s coolest suburbs in the world are: </p> <p dir="ltr">1. Colonia Americana - Guadalajara, Mexico</p> <p dir="ltr">2. Cais do Sodré - Lisbon, Portugal</p> <p dir="ltr">3. Wat Bo Village - Siem Reap, Cambodia</p> <p dir="ltr">4. Ridgewood - New York City, USA</p> <p dir="ltr">5. Mile End - Montreal, Canada</p> <p dir="ltr">6. Barrio Logan - San Diego, USA</p> <p dir="ltr">7. Shimokitazawa - Tokyo, Japan</p> <p dir="ltr">8. Cliftonville - Margate, UK</p> <p dir="ltr">9. Barrio Yungay - Santiago, Chile</p> <p dir="ltr">10. Cours Julien - Marseille, France</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-128cf8d7-7fff-bee9-23e3-4ae2692b5c69"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

International Travel

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World's most-loved landmarks ranked

<p dir="ltr">A new study has ranked the world's most-loved landmarks, whittling down a list of 125 iconic spots down to just ten.</p> <p dir="ltr">Travel experts at <a href="https://usebounce.com/blog/best-loved-landmarks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bounce</a> analysed Google search data with a focus on several factors, including annual visitor numbers, TripAdvisor ratings and posts on social media. </p> <p dir="ltr">The US and Canada dominated the list, with Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty coming in first, third, fourth and fifth respectively. </p> <p dir="ltr">India's Taj Mahal came in second, while the Great Wall of China just missed out on the top five. </p> <p dir="ltr">Though Australia and New Zealand's icons were noticeably absent from the list, the famed Sydney Opera House took out second in Bounce's ranking of landmarks expected to generate the most revenue, coming in behind India's Burj Khalifa.</p> <p dir="ltr">The full list of the top ten most-loved landmarks is:</p> <p dir="ltr">1. Niagara Falls, Canada </p> <p dir="ltr">2. Taj Mahal, India </p> <p dir="ltr">3. Grand Canyon, United States </p> <p dir="ltr">4. Golden Gate Bridge, United States </p> <p dir="ltr">5. Statue Of Liberty, United States </p> <p dir="ltr">6. Great Wall Of China, China</p> <p dir="ltr">7. Eiffel Tower, France</p> <p dir="ltr">8. Burj Khalifa, India</p> <p dir="ltr">9. Banff National Park, Canada</p> <p dir="ltr">10. Colosseum, Italy</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a8e96ede-7fff-f0d0-7a86-4e6177dfc7c8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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World's coolest streets ranked

<p>The world's coolest streets have been revealed, with one Aussie city just missing out on the top spot. </p> <p>Time Out conducted a survey of more than 20,000 international city-dwellers and, together with its global editorial team, named the world's 33 coolest cities. </p> <p>Gertrude Street, in Melbourne's inner city suburb of Fitzroy, has claimed the second spot, due to it's “wealth of independent retail, drinking and dining joints”. </p> <p>Eliza Campbell, Editor, Time Out Melbourne, explains why she thinks Melbourne finds itself with such a high position on the list.</p> <p>“Melbourne is made up of ‘cool streets’ and all the laneways in between them, so it’s no surprise we find ourselves ranking so high on the list for the second year in a row,” Ms Campbell said.</p> <p>“Melburnians take a lot of pride in supporting local businesses, that’s what keeps places like Gertrude Street thriving. As a culture, we value creativity and originality, which means we attract talent from all over the world—from food and drink, to fashion and design. </p> <p>“Those talented humans find a home in creative microcosms like Fitzroy, where history and cutting-edge innovation culminate in something incredibly unique.”</p> <p>Gertrude Street was knocked off the top spot by the “bustling” Rue Wellington in Montreal, Canada, which Time Out said has “killer cocktail bars, stellar brunch spots, some of the best sandwiches in town and even a sandy urban beach”.</p> <p>Sydney's streets didn't make the top ten, but Newtown's Enmore Road placed 24th in the list, while Auckland's Karangahape Road came in 6th. </p> <p>Check out the full list below. </p> <p>1. Rue Wellington, Montreal</p> <p>2. Gertrude Street, Melbourne</p> <p>3. Great Western Road, Glasgow</p> <p>4. Yongkang Street, Taipei</p> <p>5. Vaernedamsvej, Copenhagen</p> <p>6. Karangahape Road, Auckland</p> <p>7. Tai Ping Shan Street, Hong Kong</p> <p>8. Yaowarat Road, Bangkok</p> <p>9. Oranienstrasse, Berlin</p> <p>10. Hayes Street, San Francisco</p> <p>11. Avenida Amsterdam, Mexico City</p> <p>12. Kolokotroni, Athens</p> <p>13. Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles</p> <p>14. Ossington Avenue, Toronto</p> <p>15. Via Provenza, Medellín</p> <p>16. Calle Ocho, Miami</p> <p>17. Deptford High Street, London</p> <p>18. Praca das Flores, Lisbon</p> <p>19. Oxford Street, Accra</p> <p>20. Wentworth Avenue, Chicago</p> <p>21. Cutting Room Square, Manchester</p> <p>22. Capel Street, Dublin</p> <p>23. Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai</p> <p>24. Enmore Road, Sydney</p> <p>25. Kagurazaka, Tokyo</p> <p>26. Kloof Street, Cape Town</p> <p>27. Suleyman Seba Caddesi, Istanbul</p> <p>28. Calle Echegaray, Madrid</p> <p>29. MacDougal Street, New York</p> <p>30. Carrer del Comte Borrell, Barcelona</p> <p>31. Newbury Street, Boston</p> <p>32. Colaba Causeway, Mumbai</p> <p>33. Everton Road, Singapore</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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Canberra takes out bronze in worldwide healthy city rankings

<p dir="ltr">The world’s healthiest cities have been crowned for 2022, with Australia’s capital claiming bronze.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d9998b29-7fff-7f0e-603c-b9722c8b99bb">A <a href="https://www.money.co.uk/mortgages/healthiest-places" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new study</a> from Money.co.uk has ranked Canberra in third place, two places higher than last year’s rankings.</span></p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaOaNydoLR5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaOaNydoLR5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Visit Canberra (@visitcanberra)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The study analysed a range of factors, including obesity levels, life expectancy, air pollution, the number of sunlight hours, and safety, along with some related to the pandemic such as healthcare accessibility and the number of healthcare professionals in each country.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the study ranked Japan as the healthiest country to live in, the top two healthiest cities were both in Spain, with Valencia retaining the top position for another year.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-72c27626-7fff-aa9f-16b9-d60a9b53a913"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Australia also cracked the healthiest countries list, coming in 16th place.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cagbx_5qF8I/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cagbx_5qF8I/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Visit Canberra (@visitcanberra)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">According to the study, Canberra significantly improved from 2021 to 2022. It is one of the safest cities in the world, has a high average life expectancy at 82.9 years, and experiences a whopping 2,813.7 hours of sunlight each year.</p> <p dir="ltr">In fact, the capital city ranked second when it came to cities with the cleanest air, followed by Wellington.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other Australian cities that made the list include Adelaide in 9th place and Brisbane in 16th place.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a9970f9c-7fff-e0d6-ea6e-255dfb6c5763"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @visitcanberra (Instagram)</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Grandma's hilarious ranking system goes viral

<p>Many suspect their grandma may have favourites, but one family knows for sure where they stand thanks to their grandmother’s brutally honest "leaderboard".</p> <p>US comedian Dan LaMorte posted on TikTok explaining the unique feature in his grandmother's house, where at any time family members can look to see how beloved they are in their matriarch's eyes – and heart.</p> <p>"At my grandma’s house she has a board of the ten grandchildren's faces on magnets, and she ranks us from one to ten. I'm eight," he says proudly before cutting the video off.</p> <p>The comedian's TikTok followers found the system hilariously honest.</p> <p>"I would kill for this kind of transparency in my relationships," said one commenter. "I would have told her that she my #2 grandma," added another.</p> <p>"My grandma used to rank us too. She would regularly tell us of our rankings. She's been gone for 4 years, but I talk about her a lot in therapy," said one commenter.</p> <p>"That was the basis behind this. She used to do verbal rankings so we made her a board to do it visually," revealed LaMorte.</p> <p>In a separate video, the comedian displays the rankings again three months on, explaining some of the reasoning behind the shifts in order.</p> <p>He reveals that the number one favourite grandchild lives next door so she moves her ranking herself and is therefore invalid, while number two is a dentist and number three is a doctor.</p> <p>He also adds that he moved up two places, now at sixth place out of the ten grandchildren.</p> <p>"The key is to coast and wait for the others to mess up. The long game," one commenter suggested.</p> <p>"My great-grandmother's favorite grandchild is my childhood dog, whose portrait takes center stage in her home," said another.</p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Rolling Stone ranks Australia’s 200 Best Albums of All Time

<p>If there's one thing music fans love to debate over, it's a "Greatest of All Time" list.</p> <p>The list causing the most recent debate comes from Rolling Stone, who have ranked the top 200 best albums to come from the Australian music scene.</p> <p>It came as no great shock that the list was conquered by Australian music greats AC/DC and their rock classic album <em>Back in Black</em>.</p> <p>First released in 1980, the record remains the second highest selling album in the world, with more than 50 million copies sold worldwide.</p> <p>Despite AC/DC taking out the top spot, the most impressive feat in the list comes from the two bands that managed to secure two spots each in the top 20 list.</p> <p>The first was Midnight Oil, for their 1982 album titled <em>10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1</em> – which came in at number 19 on the list – and their 1987 classic <em>Diesel and Dust</em>, which took out the number five spot.</p> <p>Then, equally as impressive, were Powderfinger, who secured the 18th spot with their 1998 album <em>Internationalist</em>, as well as the 16th spot with <em>Odyssey Number Five</em> (2000).</p> <p>Despite the list featuring a host of up-and-coming Aussie artists and their latest releases, the majority of the top 20 was reserved for the classics.</p> <p>Coming in second to AC/DC on the list was the massive INXS record <em>Kick</em>, which was first released in 1987.</p> <p>Also featured in the top 20 were John Farnham's <em>Whispering Jack</em> (1986), Cold Chisel's <em>East</em> (1980) and Crowded House's self-titled album from 1986.</p> <p>Kylie Minogue's 2001 album <em>Fever</em> was the highest ranking for a female artist, and was joined in the list by fellow female hitmakers such as Sia, Kasey Chambers and Sarah Blasko.</p> <p>Despite the top 20 being largely dominated by 20th century records, some relative newcomers pushed their way to the top.</p> <p>5 Seconds of Summer's 2014 self-titled album landing the number 17 spot, and Tame Impala's 2015 experimental record <em>Currents</em> came in at number 12.</p> <p>Although some newer artists were featured in the top spots on the list, the winners really go to show that there's nothing quite like some classic Aussie rock.</p> <p><strong>Check out the TOP 20:</strong></p> <p>20. Dr. G Yunupingu - <em>Gurrumul</em> (2008)</p> <p>19. Midnight Oil - <em>10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1</em> (1982)</p> <p>18. Powderfinger - <em>Internationalist</em> (1998)</p> <p>17. 5 Seconds of Summer - <em>5 Seconds of Summer</em> (2014)</p> <p>16. Powderfinger - <em>Odyssey Number Five</em> (2000)</p> <p>15. The Go-Betweens - <em>16 Lovers Lane</em> (1988)</p> <p>14. Regurgitator - <em>Unit</em> (1997)</p> <p>13. Nick Cave &amp; The Bad Seeds - <em>Murder Ballads</em> (1996)</p> <p>12. Tame Impala - <em>Currents</em> (2015)</p> <p>11. You Am I - <em>Hourly, Daily</em> (1996)</p> <p>10. Kylie Minogue - <em>Fever</em> (2001)</p> <p>9. Savage Garden - <em>Savage Garden</em> (1997)</p> <p>8. The Avalanches - <em>Since I Left You</em> (2000)</p> <p>7. Crowded House - <em>Crowded House</em> (1987)</p> <p>6. Silverchair - <em>Frogstomp</em> (1995)</p> <p>5. Midnight Oil - <em>Diesel and Dust</em> (1987)</p> <p>4. Cold Chisel - <em>East</em> (1980)</p> <p>3. John Farnham - <em>Whispering Jack</em> (1986)</p> <p>2. INXS - <em>Kick</em> (1987)</p> <p>1. AC/DC - <em>Back In Black</em> (1980)</p> <p>And you can peruse the full 200-strong list <a rel="noopener" href="https://au.rollingstone.com/rolling-stones-200-greatest-australian-albums-of-all-time/page/1/the-teskey-brothers-run-home-slow/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p> </p>

Music

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Australia’s best racehorses RANKED by their winnings

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australia and New Zealand have long histories as the home of many champion racehorses - from Phar Lap and Tulloch to Makybe Diva and Black Caviar.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the years these horses have also earned some hefty prizes, with some totalling in the tens of thousands.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alan Whiticker - a longtime racing fan - has compiled the stories, stats and images of these horses among 24 featured in his new book </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/Immortals-of-Australian-Horse-Racing/Alan-Whiticker/9781925946963" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Immortals of Australian Horse Racing</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, including their winnings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here are the ten of the greatest, ranked by their total winnings (adjusted for </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/annualDecimal.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">inflation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">).</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845418/horses1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b108deac40cb47fc9439caf034137bf4" /></p> <p><strong>Winx ($26,421,176)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Winx, the ‘Wonder Mare’, not only collected more than $26 million in her five-year racing career, but also received a swathe of awards and honours. She was Australia’s Champion Racehorse of the Year for four years running, the World’s Top-Ranked Turf Horse in 2017 and 2018, and entered Australia’s Racing Hall of Fame in 2017.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Whiticker, “Winx had a V8 racing motor for a heart”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And like all champions, her will to win was freakish.”</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845419/horses2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5bf88fbabc9e4f5ea2921bb9589e48af" /></p> <p><strong>Sunline ($17,149,276)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The New Zealand-born racer was a popular contender both in her home country and Australia, with many arguing Sunline has been the best horse to come out of New Zealand since Phar Lap.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Between 1998 and 2002, Sunline collected more than $11 million in winnings, equivalent to about $17 million today. She was crowned both the Australian and New Zealand Racehorse of the Year three times, and entered the Hall of Fame in both countries in the early 2000s.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845420/horses3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b9f05f6a5a2c4f5e86bad5ba62e8fa92" /></p> <p><strong>Makybe Diva ($14, 526, 685)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Born in Somerset, England, Makybe Diva went on to win three Melbourne Cups - winning one in the same year that she placed first in the Sydney Cup.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following her third Melbourne Cup win in 2005, owner Tony Santic declared she was officially retired.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845421/horses4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/62915e6d93e9451fae240a8f7a8349c3" /></p> <p><strong>Super Impose ($10,973,719)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The New Zealander has become well-known for winning both the Doncaster and Epsom handicap races twice - and is the only horse that has done so.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He retired in 1992 with a record $5.6 million in winnings, before going on to live a life of comfort until his death at 22-years-old.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845422/horses5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/211b76c03b66472c8b298bb9c4b0fff3" /></p> <p><strong>Octagonal ($10,233,179)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">New-Zealand bred Octagonal, nicknamed ‘The Big O’, came into his own as a three-year-old and secured seven wins across Randwick, Rosehill, Canterbury, and Caulfield in just a year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 1997, Octagonal retired with a then-record $5.89 million in prize money, equivalent to $10 million now.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845423/horses6.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/62097a6ebe2a4a6fb528033a20bd7aae" /></p> <p><strong>Better Loosen Up ($9,097,380)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Better Loosen Up, named after his sire Loosen Up, achieved victory on an international scale with his win in the 1990 Japan Cup. In the same year, he also took the top spot in the Australian Cup and several other stakes races.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Retiring three years later, Better Loosen Up’s winnings totalled $4.77 million.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845424/horses7.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/98f76bda6d0144a29fb74fa5ba81ec90" /></p> <p><strong>Might &amp; Power ($8,489,287)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another winner hailing from New Zealand, Might &amp; Power secured his first win in 1997 at Randwick just before he turned three. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before retiring in 2000, Might &amp; Power earned a hefty $5 million in winnings, which equates to just under $8.5 million today. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He was also crowned World Champion Stayer in 1998 and has since been entered into the Halls of Fame in both Australia and New Zealand.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845425/horses8.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/10fc9c06acd642759119155ff7f0aeb3" /></p> <p><strong>Black Caviar ($7,953,936)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another racehorse with plenty of accolades to her name, Black Caviar also achieved the near-impossible by winning every single one of her races across her four-year career.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Almost four years to the day of her debut at Flemington, it was announced that she would retire to stud, taking $7.9 million in prize money with her.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845426/horses9.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a9207975e82c4edfbea0d0c24bee12a6" /></p> <p><strong>Phar Lap ($6,659,594)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As one of racing history’s most well-known horses, Phar Lap became an icon in Australia and New Zealand and prompted both countries to claim him as their own.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The New-Zealand born racer went on to win 37 of his 51 races, including the Melbourne Cup, and earned £66,738 in winnings that equates to over $6.5 million today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His death in 1932 came as a shock to racing fans, with rumours emerging that claimed he was deliberately poisoned ahead of the Agua Caliente Handicap race in Tijuana, Mexico. However, Whiticker posits that his death may have been due to contaminated feed or travel sickness.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845427/horses10.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/af51500da737462ebcaba1da6a9d8e4c" /></p> <p><strong>Carbine ($6,028, 507)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to Whiticker, Carbine was “the 19th century’s giant” of horse racing in Australia. The New Zealand racer not only won the 1890 Melbourne Cup, but also carried a record weight, beat the largest number of racers, and ran the fastest time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though he was eventually sold to the Duke of Portland in England, Carbine was considered an icon by Australians.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">By the time he retired in 1891, Carbine had earned 29, 626 in prizes and come first in all but six of his 43 races.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: Supplied</span></em></p>

Money & Banking

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Aussie beach nabs #2 spot in world ranking

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The world’s top-50 beaches for 2021 have been announced, with an Australian beach taking the runner-up spot.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In their annual </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://bigseventravel.com/the-50-best-beaches-in-the-world/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">‘Best Beaches in the World’ list</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, global travel authority Big 7 Travel included Queensland’s Whitehaven Beach in their scoring of stunning beaches from around the world.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When citing why they decided on Whitehaven as the second-best, the judges cited the famed beach’s soft sand and named it “among the purest in the world”.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRS0mbBja_e/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRS0mbBja_e/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Whitehaven Beach Day tour (@whitehavenxpress)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Found on the Whitsunday Islands, the beach boasts 7km of white silica sand and is “one of the world’s most unspoiled and beautiful beaches”, according to Big 7 Travel.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Because of the silica, the sand doesn’t retain heat, so it’s a fantastic place to walk on barefoot, even on a hot day.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNQVw1RspWZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNQVw1RspWZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Norge 🇳🇴 Norway (@nortrip)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The top spot was taken out by Vaeroy beach in Norway, which offers amazing coastline views from its clifftops and surprisingly warm waters.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: The Whitsundays Queensland / Instagram</span></em></p>

Domestic Travel

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“Pretty rank”: Karl Stefanovic slams odd request from French tennis player

<p>Tennis fans and Karl Stefanovic watched on in shock as French tennis player Elliot Benchetrit was told off by the umpire for asking a ball girl to peel a banana for him.</p> <p>The World No. 228 was taking part in qualifying for the first grand slam of the year when he requested a banana for some energy.</p> <p>However, with his hands bandaged heavily due to blisters, he asked the ball girl delivering the banana to peel it for him.</p> <p>This was met with a scolding from the umpire, John Blom, who told him to peel it himself.</p> <p>Stefanovic has since let his thoughts be known on the matter.</p> <p>“That is pretty rank isn’t it, asking a ballgirl to peel a banana?” Stefanovic said on Tuesday.</p> <p>“Asking a ball-person to do that is disgusting. I think it’s terrible.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">French tennis player Elliot Benchetrit has been told off by an umpire after he asked a ball girl to peel his banana for him. Thoughts? 🚫 🍌 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://t.co/VWiTHeffjB">pic.twitter.com/VWiTHeffjB</a></p> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1219349644498612225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>Sydney Morning Herald<span> </span>columnist Jessica Irvine agreed, saying that ball kids should not be given “outrageous” tasks.</p> <p>“It’s rigorous training to be a ball-person, you’ve got to be very professional, and I really don’t think that peeling bananas is part of the division of labour,” Irvine said on the Channel 9 program.</p> <p>“If she did it, she should get a pay rise. That is not the point of having ballgirls and ballboys around, their job is to get the ball. That’s outrageous.”</p> <p>It appears that the banana gave the Frenchman the strength he needed as he managed to win the match and qualify for the main draw of the Australian Open.</p> <p>He will now face Japanese World No. 91 Yuichi Sugita in the opening round and has earned himself a nice $90,000 payday by qualifying for the Open.</p>

Food & Wine

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Outrage over definitive chocolate bar power rankings

<p>An Aussie father has managed to anger chocolate fans across the nation after posting a photo on social media showing what he believes to be the ideal ranking around chocolates.</p> <p>Bruno Bouchet, whose a Sydney-based managing director and a former Kyle &amp; Jackie O radio show producer included 16 bars in his list.</p> <p>“The 100 per cent correct chocolate bar power rankings,” he wrote.</p> <p>“Don’t bother commenting, this isn’t up for discussion.”</p> <p>There are five tiers which total to 16 chocolate bars in the list.</p> <p>He chose Picnic, Turkish Delight and Chomp as his “God tier”, followed by Snickers, Twix and Curly Wurly in the “Royalty tier”.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B18KGTNBXN5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B18KGTNBXN5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">The 100% correct chocolate bar power rankings. Don’t bother commenting, this isn’t up for discussion. #chocolate #chocolateauthority #cadbury #mars #powerrankings #food #picnicbar #turkishdelight #chomp #snickers #twix #kitkat #crunchie #marsbar #aero #twirl #timeout #violetcrumble #milkyway #chokito #bountybar</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/brunobbouchet/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Bruno Bouchet</a> (@brunobbouchet) on Sep 3, 2019 at 12:02am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In the hilariously named “Adam Sandler Tier” or the “(take it or leave it tier) was the KitKat, Crunchie and the Mars bar.</p> <p>In the next tier, known as the “pleb tier” included the Twirl, the Time Out and the Aero peppermint chocolate bar.</p> <p>Finally, in the “would rather eat a bucket of cat vomit tier” included the Violet Crumble, the Milky Way, the Chokito and the Bounty.</p> <p>Many are angered by Bouchet’s rankings, as they were annoyed that he didn’t include Cadbury Daily Milk or the Caramello bar as well as excluding the Cherry Ripe and the Flake.</p> <p>Fans weren’t impressed by the Turkish Delight’s strong ranking at the top of the list.</p> <p>"All of the great work you've done with the mighty Picnic has been soiled by that disgusting mess next to it, which I refuse to name," one commenter wrote.</p> <p>"What have you done????????? Kit kats are god tier. Turkish delights go on the bottom. Have you ever noticed that out of a box of favourites that they get left behind?" points out one user.</p> <p>Even Todd McKenney got on board with the banter, saying he was “too angry” for a response.</p> <p>"#violetcrumble was robbed! Who gives a rats arse about Turkish Delight? I'm so furious right now. Please don't reply - too angry," the star wrote.</p> <p>Bouchet spoke to<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://kitchen.nine.com.au/latest/sydney-dad-trolls-wife-viral-chocolate-bar-ranking/935f3ba8-6c09-4402-81f0-1051b4acc2d3" target="_blank">Nine Honey</a></em><span> </span>about the divisive chocolate bar rankings.</p> <p>"Yesterday afternoon I was driving back from a few meetings and just knew that Australia had to be told the chocolate bar rankings by an expert that knows exactly what they're talking about," he said.</p> <p>"During my 4-years of university I lived on nothing but black coffee and chocolate bars, so there's no higher authority in the country than me — that's just a fact."</p> <p>The public outrage was surprising to Bouchet.</p> <p>"So far I've had hundreds of comments, but none that have presented a valid point on why my rankings are flawed,” he said.</p> <p>"I was a little surprised at the public response, I didn't realise people were so protective of their favourite chocolate bars. Some people hit back at me as if I were insulting a beloved family member, it's really quite amusing."</p>

Family & Pets

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“I’m not mad at this:” Naomi Osaka loses world No. 1 rank to Aussie star

<p>New York title winner Naomi Osaka has crashed out of the US Open with a stunning defeat to Belinda Bencic. </p> <p>The 21-year-old lost for the third time to Bencic in one hour and 26 minutes under the closrd roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium on a rainy Monday. </p> <p>"The challenge cannot be bigger playing Naomi," Bencic said. "She has a lot of power, me not so much. I play like chess and anticipate."</p> <p>Osaka broke to love in the fifth game of the second set on a double fault from the Japense. </p> <p>The Title holder’s defeat has slipped her to fourth in the rankings, according to the WTA with French Open champion Ash Barty returning to the top of the ladder ahead of Karolina Pliskova and Simona Halep despite all being out already in New York. </p> <p>Osaka’s elimination paints an interesting picture with the top seeds being out of the quarter-finals for the first time in Open era. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Big results fo Belinda Bencic, 22, and Donna Vekic,23. Two teenage prodigies - Bencic made QF here as a 17yo was Top 10 at 18, Vekic was Top 100 at 16yo - who have had to fight through a lot to get to this stage. Both in the midst of standout seasons. Both good friends. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/Mc4C0SnkWO">pic.twitter.com/Mc4C0SnkWO</a></p> — WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA_insider/status/1168586115919556609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>The former No. 1 told reporters the loss stung a lot less than her first-week exits at Roland Garros and Wimbledon over the summer. </p> <p>"Right now I have this feeling of sadness, but I also feel like I have learned so much during this tournament," Osaka said. </p> <p>"Honestly, of course I wanted to defend this tournament.</p> <p>"I feel like the steps that I have taken as a person have been much greater than I would imagine at this point. </p> <p>"So I hope that I can keep growing. I know that if I keep working hard, then of course I'll have better results."</p> <p>"I mean, in Wimbledon I walked out on you guys," Osaka teareully explained, referring to a tearful end to her press conference after losing in the firsts round to Yulia Putintseva. </p> <p>"In Roland Garros, I came straight from the match, so I was all gross and I just wanted to get out of there.</p> <p>In true Osaka fashion, the 21-year-old has maintained her composure and hoped to bounce back in future games. </p> <p>"Honestly, I'm not that mad at this," Osaka said. "Of course I can look at this and be very disappointed and mad, but I'm not mad at it. Of course I would like to reach higher, like rounds. That's definitely what I'll aim for in Australia.</p> <p>"But for right now, I think the level of tennis that I was playing in Europe was not that great. Coming here: two quarterfinals, Round of 16. </p> <p>"Hopefully I'll do well in Japan because I always do well in Japan, and just keep building off of it to end the season."</p>

News

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Ash Barty officially loses World No. 1 ranking after just 8 weeks

<p>Ashleigh Barty will get one final chance to secure the US Open top seeding after being surpassed as world No. 1 on Thursday.</p> <p>Reigning Australian and US Open champion Naomi Osaka moved through the third round of the Canadian Open with ease, regaining the sought after position.</p> <p>Osaka won the first set 6-2 against Tatjana Maria before the German retired due to an injury, giving the Japanese champion an open walkway to the last 16, where she will go head-to-head with Polish qualifier Iga Swiatek.</p> <p>Osaka or Czech Karolina Pliskova are in the running to claim the No. 1 ranking next week after Barty’s 6-7 (7-5) 6-3 6-4 second-round loss to American Sofia Kenin on Wednesday.</p> <p>After beating Alison Riske – the American who ended Barty’s 15-match winning streak in Wimbledon last month – Pliskova now also has her eyes on the prize.</p> <p>Pliskova defeated Riske 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 and will face Anett Kontaveit, who made it to the next round when Carla Suarez Navarro retired.</p> <p>Regardless, Barty’s eight-week stint as Australia’s first women’s world No. 1 since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1976 will be over on Monday.</p> <p>In the instance that Osaka reaches the quarter or semi-finals, Pliskova will need to compete in the final, or beat Osaka in the title decider to regain her position as No. 1 for the first time since 2017.</p> <p>But it is not all doom and gloom for Barty – if she shows off a strong performance next week in Cincinnati, she could regain the top spot.</p>

News

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This $3 butter has just been ranked one of the best in Australia

<div> <div class="replay"> <div class="reply_body body linkify"> <div class="reply_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>When it comes to food products, higher price does not always mean better quality.</p> <p>This wisdom proved true as experts ranked ALDI’s butter as one of the country’s tastiest.</p> <p>Consumer advocacy group <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/dairy/butter-and-cheese/buying-guides/butter">Choice Australia</a> has rated the supermarket’s Beautifully Butterfully Butter Unsalted in the top three of all butters, beating out popular brands such as Devondale, Pepe Saya, Coles and Woolworths.</p> <p>The ALDI butter, which also came first in the unsalted butter category, was praised by the group’s experts as having a “compact, silky texture”, “milky sweet” taste and “a clean finish”.</p> <p>At $1.12 per 100g – or $2.79 per 250g block – the ALDI butter was also among the most affordable products in the review.</p> <p>The butter received a blind taste test score of 90 per cent, losing out only to Lurpak Slightly Salted Butter with 95 per cent and Western Star Original Salted Butter with 92 per cent.</p> <p>An equal third place went to Lurpak Unsalted Butter, which also scored 90 per cent in the taste test.</p> <p>Pepe Saya was the most expensive brand in the review at $4 per 100g, but its Batch Churned Handcrafted Unsalted Butter only received a 67 per cent score.</p> <p>The three food experts evaluated 33 supermarket butters based on texture, presentation, flavour and aroma.</p> <p>The group also advised that making your own butter could be a cheaper option. The recipe involves mixing pure cream, salt and chilled water. </p> <p>“If you usually buy organic, cultured or other more premium varieties or brands, then you could save money by making your own – assuming you have the time and the necessary kitchen equipment,” it said on the website.</p> <p>“And if you buy cream when it's on special, your homemade butter may even cost less than supermarket brands.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Food & Wine

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Australia falls to 62nd place in global internet speed rankings

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australia is still lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to the speed of our internet, and another test has proven this.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The country has dropped to 62</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">nd</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> place in a global ranking of broadband speeds, which puts Australia behind a number of developing countries, including Kosovo and Barbados.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The data comes from </span><a href="https://www.speedtest.net/global-index"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ookla Speedtest</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which is a company that provides an online speed test service for internet users.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australia has fallen three places, despite achieving a slightly higher average speed compared to previous months.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The global average speed of internet is 57.91 megabits per second (MBPS), and Australian households reach an average speed of 35.11MBPS.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Number one on the list was Singapore, who tops the list with a very fast 199.62MBPS, which is more than 5.6 times faster than the speed of Australia.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, given the size of the two countries, with Australia having a large landscape compared to Singapore’s small and highly populated city nation, it’s not a fair comparison.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The other countries included in the top five are also small nations, which include Hong Kong, Monaco, Romania and South Korea.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">America comes in at number 8, with an average internet speed of 117.31MBPS.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A spokesperson for the NBN has defended Australia’s position in the ranking and pointed to improvements in speed over the past year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This step change in the average speed of fixed broadband performance points to an overall improvement in speeds once customers connect to the NBN,” the spokesperson said to </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/nbn/australian-broadband-speeds-are-improving-but-not-compared-to-the-rest-of-the-world/news-story/4cac80e9b13d6484ea69c3aad9633b8c"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>

Technology

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What coffee pods do you use? Barista ranks the top 5 from Coles and Woolies

<p>We know Aussies love a good cup of coffee – and with the increasing popularity of coffee pods, it has become easier for us to create our own brew at home in the morning. But which one is the best on the market?</p> <p>If anyone knows anything about what makes a cuppa great, it’s the decorated Australian barista, Craig Simon.</p> <p>"You don't have to be an amazing barista to make a good coffee at home," Simon said.</p> <p>The three-time Australian Barista champion shared his thoughts on some of the most popular brands with <a rel="noopener" href="https://kitchen.nine.com.au/2019/02/20/18/51/a-current-affair-compares-best-coffee-pods-on-the-market" target="_blank"><em>A Current Affair</em></a>.</p> <p>Below is his ranking of the five brands reviewed:</p> <p><strong>1. St Remio, $3.75 for a 10-pack</strong></p> <p>St Remio's STRONG variant topped Simon’s list. "It's a nice coffee, clean sweet, smooth, those chocolate and nut flavours are coming through which I think talks to a really nice coffee," he said, giving it a score of 8/10.</p> <p><strong>2. Coles, $3.75 for a 10-pack</strong></p> <p>The supermarket home brand followed in number two with its Medium Intensity 6 variant, scoring a 7.5/10. "It's quite pleasant," said Simon. "The thing I would notice about that that's different to all the other coffees is that there's a lot more acidity to a cup, so it's a brighter fruitier cup of coffee if that's your preference."</p> <p><strong>3. Lavazza, $11 for a 16-pack</strong></p> <p>The Lavazza A Modo Delizioso pods came third. "Definitely a heavier body, it's a lot more weight, but the flavour's not as expressive, there's a more smoky character to it," said Simon.</p> <p>As it was the most expensive choice out of the five, Simon took a few points off. "I would say because of the cost this is lower in my ratings, I would say a 6 and a half to a 7."</p> <p><strong>4. Nescafe, $8.50 for a 16-pack</strong></p> <p>The popular Nescafe Dolce Gusto Espresso Intenso took the fourth spot with a score of 5.5/10. "It's a fairly thin coffee, but it’s not unpleasant," Simon said.</p> <p><strong>5. Woolworths, $3.70 for a 10-pack</strong></p> <p>Despite being the most affordable option out of the pack, Simon found Woolies' coffee pod to be the least impressive, giving it a verdict of 5/10. "It's definitely not my preference," he commented. <span>He said the supermarket’s Caffitaly Espresso Roast coffee had a "bold and strong" taste and a "smokey aroma" that could be smelled right away.</span></p> <p>Don't agree with Simon’s reviews? Consumer advocacy group CHOICE also made <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/drinks/tea-and-coffee/articles/coffee-capsules" target="_blank">a list of coffee pod ranking</a>s in 2017, with David and Matthew Gee of Barista Basics Coffee Academy and Anee Sampath of BeanCraft coffee roasters as the taste testers. In their test, Nespresso Arpeggio Intensity 9 came out as the highest-scorer, followed by Woolworths' Intense Intensity 12.</p> <p>Have you tried any of these coffee pods? Let us know in the comments.</p>

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