B20 — a dinky-di Aussie festival to accompany the G20

THE Bacchus Brewing Company in Brisbane is staging B20, a beer festival featuring ales inspired by the G20 attendees.

BANISH the latest APEC fancy-dress disasters from your mind and embrace some dinkum Aussie summit stirring. The Bacchus Brewing Company in Brisbane’s southeast is gearing up for the G20 by staging a B20, a beer festival featuring drops designed to reflect the attributes of attendees. The EU, for example, is represented by Beerocracy — a European style lager “designed by a committee” featuring hops from each member state. Drink your way through the world’s 20 leading economies. The only dubious-sounding brew is the Russian representative, Red Army. It, unlike Putin’s provinces, is low-alcohol.

Running in the family

WITH all the plaudits flowing Julie Bishop’s way, pause to acknowledge the latest politician from the family, sister MaryLou. Not only was she voted on to the inner-Adelaide Walkerville Council over the weekend, she topped the poll.

Not Nat sorta guy

IF you heard a Krakatoa-size explosion emanating from the Junee region in NSW yesterday morning, relax. It was only Bill Heffernan. In an unfortunate slip, Sky News’ Laura Jayes referred to the Liberal senator as a National. Heffernan, of course, has been waging a one-man war against the country cousins for years, matched perhaps only by the struggle of those Japanese soldiers who battled on in The Philippines into the 1970s.

Sounds of silence

OK, so the early starts must make morning radio hosts cranky. But perhaps ABC Perth’s Geoff Hutchison should have thought if Remembrance Day was a suitable subject for sark before he fired off this tweet (pictured).

Lest we forget Jacqui

LOCAL politicians Brett Whiteley and Adam Brooks attended the local commemorations in Burnie yesterday but neither spoke, depriving the city’s other pol, Jacqui Lambie, of a chance to stage a silent protest over defence force pay. Instead she had to take out her frustrations on Facebook — and send out a media release consisting of nothing but a link to her posting, just in case it was missed.

Turning his back?

LAMBIE’S notional boss Glenn Lazarus tweeted and Facebooked photos of himself at his local do. “I am very proud to be part of Remembrance Day ceremonies at Kedron Wavell today. Thank you to all the brave defence personnel who have given so much to this country. ‘Lest we forget’.” He followed this up with a second tweet and Facebook post “Fellow Palmer United Senator for Western Australia, Dio Wang, and his team also took part in Remembrance Day ceremonies in Perth.” Yet at the time of going to press he had forgotten someone. Odd, that.

How’s yer Father Xmas

AS shops gear up for the Christmas rush, so the Campaign for Real Santas is stepping up its seasonal activities. The movement, the brainchild of inveterate British letters-to-the-editor writer Keith Flett, wants to bring authenticity back to Christmas. And, in its eyes, that means beards. In a statement on its website it has declared that, given high unemployment and underemployment among mature men, there is no excuse for anyone to use a Santa without white flowing facial fuzz. “Campaigners are urging parents and children to vigorously tug the beards of Santas they encounter as a definitive test as to whether they are in the presence of a real Santa or not,” it urges. There’s even a handy guide on how to detect frauds. “Tug the beard of the Santa,” it advises. “If it comes away, then the Santa is fake. Tug the beard of the Santa again. If the Santa swears then they are genuine. If they simply repeat a ‘Ho, ho, ho’ mantra they are fake. The Campaign for Real Santas says that genuine Santas must have just the right mix of bonhomie and grumpiness.”

Queen of tarts

THE Sex Party launches its Victorian election campaign today at the Madame Brussels bar. A straightforward enough announcement, one may think, but in the immortal words of the Demtel man, wait — there’s more. A little, slightly naughty, gag. For the choice of the venue is very deliberate indeed. Its name commemorates one of the more prominent — and successful — entrepreneurs of the early demimonde of Melbourne town.

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