Today, we head to the unheralded jewel of South Australia to the Clare Valley. It’s here at a Country Womens Association function, that an ancient bus and an energy powerhouse collide, when we meet Amanda Blair, wandering around her charity vintage clothing bus, Dulcie’s Shop of Real Opportunity, which has raised more than a hundred thousand dollars for South Australia’s homeless.
In this episode of 'A Middle Ground', Griffith University's Nance Haxton speaks with Professor Anne Tiernan about the federal election result, Queensland voters and Australia's 46th parliament.
While much of Australia's prosperity still comes from it's regional heartland, rural issues have received little attention in this federal election campaign. This is despite recent devastating natural disasters across north-west Queensland, where more than 650-thousand head of cattle died in catastrophic floods, causing almost two billion dollars worth of damage. The Rural Press Club recently hosted a fundraiser and discussion on what should be done now to ensure the future of the regions, where we spoke to those affected about the difficult recovery they face. Griffith University's Professor Fabrizio Carmagnani tells A Middle Ground podcast that the implementation of rural policies by all major parties is in desperate need of reform, to stop the overlap of federal, state and local governments and get more help to those who need it most.
Have you ever stopped to contemplate how difficult it is to find appropriate clothing, if you have a disability? And not just functional clothing, but fashionable, beautiful, and fun clothing. Imagine being at the top of your career, leading your own legal practice, but unable to find appropriate professional clothing to wear. This is the dilemma that faces solicitor Carol Taylor regularly. A car accident in 2001 left Carol Taylor a quadriplegic, paralysed from the chest down, and unable to move her fingers. Since those difficult days, Carol has become a mother, and returned to work becoming principal of Taylor Law and Conveyancing. And now she adds artist and fashion designer to her achievements. Carol's works are now on display in the exhibition Agency by Design: Expressive Design for Disability at artisan in Brisbane until July 13 2019. Her dream now is to create designs for beautiful garments that can be made into patterns, for people with a disability around the world to wear.