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Petition to put Gina Rinehart's portrait in Times Square goes viral

When Gina Rinehart's portrait featured in an exhibition at the National Gallery in Canberra, she <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/gina-rinehart-demands-for-national-gallery-to-remove-her-portrait" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demanded</a> it be taken down. The gallery refused, and said it would stay hanging in the gallery until the end of the end of the exhibit on July 21st. Rinehart's outrageous request to take down the artwork went viral on social media, and even saw her feature on Stephen Colbert's late night TV show. Now, comedian Dan Ilic has started a <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/put-vincent-namatjira-s-work-in-times-square#/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">petition</a> to get the artwork displayed in New York City's iconic Times Square. Ilic told <a href="https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/2024/05/21/rinehart-times-square" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Daily</a> that it is important to celebrate Australia’s art and artists, because “not many other people are”. “The person who was seeking for it to be removed has a unique place in Australian culture and politics, and uses their power for things that are very much in line with their interests,” he said. “Us, using our own power as a community to try and leverage a lot of little people’s contributions to this celebration of great Australian art, is a great thing.” Ilic said people approached him to launch the fundraising campaign because “I’ve become the person to do such things”. “I happened to go to an art event on the weekend with some people who know [artist] Vincent Namatjirawell and I asked them to check if he would like it,” he said. “He said it’s very funny, so we went ahead with it.” A 10-minute slot in Times Square costs $16,000, however Ilic is campaigning to raise $30,000 to beam Rinehart’s portrait into one of the busiest locations on the planet, with any excess money being donated to Indigenous-led youth climate network Seed Mob. He said, “By the very nature of that organisation, they’re at odds with a lot of what big corporations like Hancock Prospecting are all about.” Ilic said he was confident about passing the $30,000 goal and making the 10-minute slot a reality, after already raising over 70 percent of his goal. “There is an old maxim in crowdfunding: If you reach 50 per cent within the 50 per cent mark of time, you’ll get the rest,” he said. “We hit that earlier this morning and it’s about halfway now, so I think we’ll get the rest.” Ilic has previously campaigned to have features in Times Square, with one such ad highlighting Australia's lack of climate change action ahead of the COP26 meeting in 2021. Image credits: Dan Ilic - Indiegogo

International Travel

Petition launched for Miss Universe Australia to step down

A petition is calling for Australia’s Miss Universe Moraya Wilson to step down, following reports that her parents owe $45 million to creditors. According to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) her parents, Anton and Melinda Wilson, owe $45 million to creditors following multiple company liquidations. They also owe $21 million to the tax office, with Anton Wilson due in court next month for knowingly signing a false declaration and defrauding creditors of a bankrupt, according to <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/other-industries/calls-for-miss-universe-australia-to-step-down-amid-reports-her-family-owes-up-to-45m-to-creditors/news-story/092c8e7e789b2749d5853f7b6dccf535" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. So where does Moraya come into all of this? It is reported that she is the director of 10 companies that ASIC is looking to have struck off the business register, although she has denied any knowledge of, or involvement in the businesses. Moraya said that she had “tendered my resignation from all of the companies”. However, Anton Wilson's bankrupt trustee Nicholas Crouch, claims that Moraya was listed as the sole director of these 10 companies so that the family business can continue to run despite her parent's bankruptcies. In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry into ASIC lodged last year, Crouch wrote: “21-year-old daughter is now nominated as the director of the family construction group. “It would appear the family business has not been disrupted by strategic bankruptcies and liquidations.” It is also alleged that one of the companies Moraya is a director of owes $13,204 to the Australian Taxation Office, which means that it was operating and trading as a business. Her father claims that when Moraya was 19, and already successful in her modelling career, she wanted “to carve a career in property development”, so he offered her “general father-daughter advice”. “I just politely, as a father does to his daughter, said ‘I’ll help you get into business’. Pretty simple,” Anton said. Now, a Change.org petition has been launched by a member of the public, calling for her to step down as Australia’s top model. The petition reads: “Miss Universe is an international competition that empowers women and promotes diverse representations of beauty across the globe. This beauty goes beyond appearance and includes character and personality …” However, Moraya said that she still intends to compete in the international pageant later this month. “I have become aware of a petition,” she said. “I intend to fulfil my duties as Miss Universe Australia to the best of my ability with the full support of The Miss Universe Australia management.” The organiser of the Miss Australia pageant, Troy Barbagallo also said that the controversy was “none of my business," and remains certain of his choice of Moraya as Australia’s top model. “There is (a) wide range of criteria and a large selection committee who found Moraya to be the best person for the job among 24 exceptional women and we stand by that decision,” he said. The model is set to travel El Salvador later this month for the international pageant. Images: Instagram

Money & Banking

"We ought to honour a true Aussie hero": Petition to put Steve Irwin on Aussie currency

In light of the change of monarchs, the long-term debate has res-parked regarding who should appear on our nation's currency. With the opportunity for a new face to appear, dedicated fans are petitioning for one specific Aussie icon to be branded. Vincent Wu and Kirby Miles have posted a petition online to the Australian Parliament House website, advocating for Steve Irwin to be featured on the $5 bill as opposed to King Charles III. The petition has noted that the conservationist and wildlife expert has made exceptional contributions to the country, which is necessary in order to be included on the banknote according to the Reserve Bank of Australia. "There is no one more vital to the Australian culture and identity than Steve Irwin. Steve is beloved by all and has become synonymous with the Australian values we hold so dearly," the petition read. "He epitomised the spirit of mateship; he deeply loved the Australian Wildlife, working hard towards conservation and education but perhaps most importantly he's just a good bloke. "This should not be seen as a step away from the crown, but as a step towards honouring a beloved Aussie hero. There is so much more that could be said about Steve but it comes down to this: we ought to honour a true Aussie hero." "We therefore ask the House to change the face of the $5 note to Steve Irwin." Vincent and Kirby's wishes are not completely misguided after Assistant Treasury Minister Andrew Leigh previously said King Charles may not replace the late Queen on the $5 note, but will be featured on coins instead. This isn't the first time a fan has advocated to have Steve Irwin on Australian currency. Six years ago a fan posted a petition to have the icon on the $100 bill. Although it gained 31,000 signatures it wasn't enough to sway the government. The petition going around is gaining traction and numbers continue to increase with each passing hour, it will be open for signatures until October 27. Image: Getty

Money & Banking

Petition to strike Amber Heard’s character from new flick

A petition calling for Amber Heard’s character to be removed from the Aquaman sequel has hit a massive three million signatures. Heard is currently being sued by Johnny Depp for $50 million for defamation over a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in which she describes herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse”. The publicly reported case has seen fans from all over the world call for Heard’s character to be removed from Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, in which she plays Princess Mera. At the time of publication, the <a href="https://www.change.org/p/dc-entertainment-remove-amber-heard-from-aquaman-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">change.org</a> petition had clocked a whopping 2,948,764 signatures. Questions are not being raised on whether or not Warner Bros. will remove Heard’s character from the sequel, which is currently in post-production. However, it has also been revealed by journalist Grace Randolph that Heard has “less than 10 minutes screen time” in Aquaman 2. The trial between Heard and Depp began on April 11 and is set to last about six weeks. Image: Getty

Movies

Neighbours fans launch desperate bid to save the show

Dedicated Neighbours fans have launched a desperate plea to stop the show from facing cancellation. Thousands of British viewers of the Aussie soap have signed a petition to "find a way to keep Neighbours on air" after news that UK network Channel 5 was withdrawing its partnership with Australian production company Fremantle Media. The cancellation of the broadcast partnership has put the future of the series in jeopardy, with Channel 5 footing the majority of the production bill.The <a href="https://www.change.org/p/channel-5-channel-5-don-t-axe-neighbours?recruiter=false&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_message&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=bf8fa2f0-8739-11ec-968a-f93edd77906a&share_bandit_exp=message-32279051-en-GB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">change.org petition</a> states that Neighbours has “been a staple on UK screens for over 35 years – and has been watched by generations”.“Neighbours is more than just a TV show – it is a source of comfort and entertainment for generations of fans who have watched it for decades.”The petition, which has racked up more than 16,000 so far, cited the series as “one of the most-loved TV shows in the UK”, adding that “even Adele is a fan”.Neighbours draws around 1.5 million UK viewers daily, and up to 170,000 metro viewers in Australia.Production on the show has been paused for Monday, with <a href="https://tvtonight.com.au/2022/02/neighbours-future-in-limbo-as-uk-confirms-it-will-cease-broadcasting.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TV Tonight</a> reporting that the cast and crew will be attending a meeting to discuss the situation and future of the show. Network Ten says it stays "committed" to the series and is feeling "hopeful" a deal can be reached, but an email sent from Neighbours' executive producer Jason Herbison to staff on the set, paints a more bleak picture of the future of the show. “As you know the future of the show has been uncertain for some time. Our audience remains steady and Channel 10 would love the show to continue if we could find another broadcast partner to replace C5,” Herbison wrote in the email that was published by <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a>.“These discussions are ongoing however there is no new broadcaster at the moment and production must end, effectively resting the show."“We are so proud of the show, you all and everything that you’ve achieved. But for now, this chapter is closing and we want to work together to give Neighbours the amazing send-off it deserves.”Image credits: Radio Times

Petition calls for Prince Harry to give up royal titles

A little over 25,000 people so far have signed a petition calling for Prince Harry to give up all of his royal titles so he may indulge his personal beliefs without consequences from or for the royal family. Started by royal expert, Lady Colin Campbell, she stated that the purpose of the Change.org appeal is to invite Prince Harry to “voluntarily” ask the Queen to put his “royal style, titles and rank into abeyance.” “As a purely private citizen, with no royal rank, style or title, he (Harry) will be able to indulge his personal beliefs, as is the right of all private citizens, without the consequential possibility of damaging the institution of the Monarchy or relations between Friendly Powers, and will be free to articulate beliefs, no matter how objectionable, without the fallout that is otherwise inevitable as long as he possesses royal status,” she wrote in the description. <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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPc-_7JnhXX/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/CPc-_7JnhXX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Princess of world (@ourroyal_family)</a> </div> </blockquote> Ms Campbell, who is the author of the book, <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/meghan" target="_blank">Meghan</a> and Harry: The Real Story informed The Daily Star: "I started it (the petition) because I think it’s the right thing to do.” “I have spoken to people, many people, who think it’s the right thing to do and it is the solution,” she said. "It is the best solution because it frees Harry to be able to indulge himself without consequence and without doing damage to the institution of the monarchy of the British nation, the British people and himself,” the 71-year-old biographer says. Ms Campbell went on to claim Harry “doesn’t need” the royal titles as “he is too big for them now” and he “still gets publicity and attention.” "They (Harry and Meghan) will still be able to sell their brand, capitalise upon their identity, but at least it will be in a way there can be no confusion about the fact that he is doing it as an individual and not as a member of the royal family that has duties to the nation and to the people of this nation,” the writer said. Senior aides at Buckingham Palace also publicly asked Meghan and Harry to give up their titles earlier this month, in light of the Duke of Sussex’s latest tell-all interview. Despite making it clear he had no ill will against his family, senior royals were allegedly left baffled by his “disgraceful” and “woeful lack of compassion” when Harry guest starred on an episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast. The 36-year-old royal admitted to Mr Shepard that he and Meghan moved to the United States to break the cycle of “genetic pain.” <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841555/prince-harry-meghan-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1a97b869fa2e44c58afd65644f332e3b" /> When speaking about his dad, Prince Charles, Harry said: “He’s treated me the way that he was treated. “There’s a lot of genetic pain and suffering that gets passed on anyway. “Isn’t life about breaking the cycle? There’s no blame.” Image: Getty Images

Legal

Kmart accused of enforcing gender stereotypes on kids

A customer has complained about Kmart’s range of children’s clothing, accusing the retail giant of “gender stereotyping”. In a Facebook post, shopper Swagata said she was frustrated by the differences in Kmart’s range of kids t-shirts for boys versus girls. She claimed that the designs of girls tops included words such as “love”, “more love”, and “smile” while boys tops featured phrases like “adventure”, “wild woodlands”, and “alpine trails”. “Could you possibly be more gender stereotyping with your kids clothes?” the shopper wrote. She went on to suggest kids clothes should be gender neutral to give shoppers and kids a wider choice. “Thumbs down from this parent,” she said. The complaint comes after a recent petition called on Kmart to stop separating children’s clothing into “boys” and “girls” sections and instead offer one range for all children, claiming the retailer was sending the “wrong” message to kids. “Many parents of young boys will tell you their son loves pink, rainbows and flowers but simply cannot wear clothes in these styles like girls do without taking them from the girls section, which sends a strong message that the things they like are ‘wrong’,” the petition read. “Similarly, many parents of girls lament the lack of dinosaurs, trucks and non-frilly styles in the girls’ section.” But, the petition has received some backlash from parents. “I don’t mind if they want to remove the ‘Boys’ and ‘Girls’ signage and just make a ‘Children’s’ section,” one commentor wrote. “But please don’t mix the actual clothing items up so that we have to trawl through racks of ‘boys’ clothes to get to the ‘girls’ clothes we actually want, or vice versa.” A Kmart spokesperson previously told 7NEWS.com.au that the store embraces inclusion and diversity. “At Kmart, we are proud to offer customers a wide range of children’s clothing in lots of different styles and it’s certainly not our intention to stereotype children based on gender,” the spokesperson said. “The store layout reflects a majority of the way our Kmart customers shop and the difference between our boys and girls apparel range (in terms of fit) is marginal, so all customers have the opportunity to shop both areas for children.”

Beauty & Style

Ben Fordham calls out fake Fairy Bread petition

A number of Australian outlets have been left red-faced after declaring there was a big push to rename Fairy Bread, due to it being offensive. However, the story has been declared a hoax after the original poster came out and confirmed the sham – a fact which many eagle-eyed OverSixty readers were also quick to realise. A petition at Change.org was launched a few weeks ago by a person named Alexis Chaise, who furiously declared that the party food, consisting of white bread, margarine, and sprinkles, was “enjoyed by countless Australians, but to this day maintains its distasteful name.” Alexis was seemingly outraged at the phrase “fairy” being used in 2021. 2GB host Ben Fordham said it didn’t take him very long to pick up on the sham, and swiftly called out well-known prankster team The Chaser. He pinpointed that Alexis Chaise is actually a lounge that can be purchased for $799 at Lounge Lovers. “Alexis Chaise's social media account had only been around a few months as well. Fordham pointed out that the first four followers Alexis Chaise’s account gained were three members of the prankster group; Julian Morrow, Craig Reucassel, Dominic Knight and the official account of The Chaser. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840781/fairy-bread-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a68716843c864761b9f01b1dcbca5cc2" /> The fairy bread hoax follows swiftly after Melbourne man Brian Mc launched a petition to change the name of ice-cream Golden Gaytime.

News

Petition to change "offensive and outdated" name of popular party snack

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> A petition has been started to change the name of the "offensive and outdated" children's birthday party staple of fairy bread. Fairy bread is buttered bread with 100's and 1000's sprinkles on top and is a popular children's snack. However, the petition has been started by an Australian man who believes that the use of the word "fairy" as the word "has been used to belittle and oppress others". "The fact that Australians in 2021 are still using this word in the name of a children's food is reprehensible," the campaign creator wrote. The campaign has gathered 1,000 signatures. "I never personally ate fairy-bread (sic) while growing up, and am proud to say that I still have not. However, I would like to think that if I had a child I would not be using a term as crude as the term 'fairy' to describe it." The creator proposed changing the name to "Party Bread", "for the sake of countless marginalised Australians. "And until then we boycott 'Fairy Bread' entirely," she wrote. "Bigotry is un-Australian, and so is Fairy bread." Others aren't a fan of the petition. "I have hundreds and thousands of reasons for signing this petition!" joked one. </div> </div> </div>

Food & Wine

"No, no, no": Karl Stefanovic weighs in on Golden Gaytime drama

Calls to re-brand the popular Aussie ice-cream Golden Gaytime is an example of cancel culture going too far, says Karl Stefanovic. An Australian man recently launched a petition to rename the classic dessert after he deemed the name as outdated and offensive. The host of the Today show disagreed. "I say, no, no, no. It's time to stop this cancel culture," Karl said. "For goodness' sake, I'm drawing the line at an ice-cream. Like millions of Australians, I love a Gaytime. "How can a name born in the innocence of the 1950s be offensive? It's ridiculous." Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie then shared her own opinion on the matter, and couldn't resist taking a swipe at Karl. "I think you probably do with a little bit less ice-cream for your waistline, Karl. That's the first thing," she said. "My second thing is - what about all those women with the first name of Gaye? "This is going way over the line."

Push to rename iconic Aussie ice cream over "offensive" name

There is increasing amounts of pressure to rename beloved Aussie favourite Golden Gaytime amid concerns it causes offence to the gay community. Australian man, Brian Mc, launched a petition online earlier in the month and has since gone to war with ice-cream giant Streets and its parent company Unilever. The petition has over 800 signatures so far. According to Mr Mc, the name of the ice cream, which was first released in 1959, is "outdated" and "offensive" and is asking for the term "gay" to be banished from the title. “As a part of the LGBTQIA+ community I believe my sexual identity is owned by me, not a brand and that the outdated meaning no longer applies. Isn’t it time for this double entendre to end?” he said in the notes below the petition. Other brands have changed their names in the last year to remove racist connotations. For instance, Redskins became Red Ripper, Chicos became Cheekies and Coon Cheese was renamed Cheer Cheese. Now Mr Mc is calling for Golden Gaytime to receive the same treatment. “Under the law they are seen the same, discrimination means being treated unfairly or not as well as others because of a protected characteristic like age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race or disability,” he said. “It’s not my place to tell Streets what to call their rebranded product, but I do feel it’s time that the Golden Gaytime is called out for being outdated, especially when Streets is releasing new products and cross promotions in 2021.” Mr Mc revealed he had faced a lot of grief for speaking out about the name but refused to back down. “Just to be a gay man, even in 2021 is still hard … (we) still have a long way to go to be fully accepted as equals, but if we see an area in life that’s not equal, and we are able to change it for the better, why wouldn’t you speak up,” Mr Mc said. “This is why I'm speaking out against Golden Gaytime. “I’m not calling for the product to be cancelled, I’m calling for the product to remove Gay from its name.” A Streets spokesperson told NCA NewsWire that the Golden Gaytime was released in Australia during 1959 when the word “gay” had not yet been applied to gender preference. “The origin of the ‘Gaytime’ name was and remains related to having a joyous or happy time and is meant to capture the pleasure that comes with enjoying an ice cream,” they said in a statement. “The ‘Gaytime’ name is not and never has intended to cause offence and this petition is the first that we have been made aware of. “As a Unilever brand, Streets has a deep and longstanding commitment to help build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive society for all.” Golden Gaytime has a different name in other countries. In New Zealand it is known as a Cookie Crumble. “Gay and Gaytime no longer mean what it used to. Now gay is either ‘I'm gay’, and not as in happy, or ‘that’s so gay’, which is an insult. But either way this ice cream should be called happytime, “ one respondent to the petition said. Unilever has been contacted for comment.

News

Don't take our medals: War veterans launch petition after Afghanistan enquiry

A former Special Forces officer says the decision to strip diggers of their medals after last week’s damning report on alleged war crimes in Afghanistan would risk punishing thousands of veterans without conviction. A four-year investigation by Justice Paul Brereton found there was credible evidence of 23 incidents in which 39 Afghan nationals were unlawfully killed, mostly between 2009 and 2013. As a result, Australian Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell said: “I have accepted the Inspector General’s recommendation and will write to the Governor-General, requesting he revoke the meritious unit citation.” This would result in over 3000 veterans who served in the Special Operations Task Force between 2007 and 2013 having their medals stripped. Heston Russell, a former Major in the 2nd Commando Regiment, said the move would punish many for the alleged crimes of a few. “He’s decided to reprimand and punish over 3000 people including 20 fallen heroes before any proof has been provided of the criminal allegations,” he told Sunrise. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Disgraceful that the ADF is treating our Special Forces like this... <a href="https://t.co/olKOpctROw">https://t.co/olKOpctROw</a> — Samantha Armytage (@sam_armytage) <a href="https://twitter.com/sam_armytage/status/1330965598872817665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2020</a></blockquote> Russell said the decision had “dug up” the “pain and agony” for veterans and the families of those who died in combat. “As a veteran community we feel like we are under attack, you know, painted with this brush of being convicted without any trial.” Russell is asking Australians to “show your support for common sense and help us stop this persecution of ‘the many’ who served with honour” by singing the petition on the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.voiceofaveteran.org/" target="_blank">Voice Of A Veteran website</a>. “The response from the Australian public has been absolutely incredible.” “I’ve been dumbfounded at just how much support there is out there and it’s great to see commonsense coming through,” he said. The Governor-General has the power to reject the request made by the Chief of the Defence Force, but that is extremely rare.

Legal

Kmart strips "offensive" child costume from shelves after mum launches damaging petition

Kmart has stripped a children’s bride costume from its shelves after a Melbourne mother launched a scathing petition, calling the item “beyond inappropriate”. The costume could have been purchased for $6 and included a white wedding gown and headband with a veil for children between the ages of 4 and 6 - before it was pulled from sale on Tuesday afternoon. The move came two days after Melbourne mum, Shannon B launched the petition on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.change.org/" target="_blank">Change.org. </a> “Kmart Australia regrets the decision to range the bride costume,” a Kmart spokesperson told <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/business/retail/kmart-stops-selling-childrens-bride-costumes-after-mums-petition-c-517062" target="_blank">7 News</a>. “It was not intended to cause offence and we sincerely apologise. We have made the decision to withdraw this product.” <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7831965/kmart-bride.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/dae2d4cd79fa44babf7389a58308b6e5" /> The petition, which had 124 signatures, labelled the costume “offensive” and asked supporters to remind Kmart it had a “social responsibility” to uphold. “Each year, 12 million children (girls as young as 6 years old — the same size as this ‘costume’) are sold or married off by their family without their consent. That’s one million child marriages per month!” Shannon wrote. “That equates to 23 children every minute or 1 child every 2 minutes. If this continues, 150 million more children will be married by the year 2030. “Child marriage means child abuse and torture in its worst forms — paedophilia, child rape, child slavery, child sex trafficking. “Tell Kmart this is beyond inappropriate and offensive and that they have a social responsibility to pull this item off their shelves immediately.” World Vision Australia confirmed the statistics shared were indeed correct. “Anything that trivialises child marriage is disturbing” child rights campaigner Mercy Chipo Jumo said. The big decision comes a week before Halloween, where children’s costumes will be sure to fly off department store racks.

News

Petition for Aussie bus driver sacked for leaving girl on bus

The public have thrown their support behind an elderly bus driver who was fired after leaving a five-year-old Queensland girl locked in a school bus for four hours. Ross Belsham, 79, was sacked from Logan Coaches in Brisbane’s South on Tuesday, despite a lack of evidence to suggest he alone was responsible for the incident. Several online petitions and a Facebook page have been set up by members of the community in an attempt to restore Ross’ job. Combined, the petitions have received over 1,000 signatures. “This petition has been started to get Ross Belsham's job reinstated, it’s wrong on many levels that one of our elderly tax paying citizens are being punished,” one petition explained. “Having a child sneak onto a bus and then having a mother who shows no regard for her child’s safety by being at the designated wait place is the issue here.” In an interview with <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/01/31/20/03/driver-who-left-five-year-old-girl-on-bus-sacked-by-company" target="_blank">9 News</a>, Ross explained the significant impact the termination would have on his and his wife's lives after 50 years of professional driving. “I’ve lost my job and I don’t think I’ve had a fair run,” he said. “That’s the end of my life, unless somebody out there wants to give me a job.” The incident occurred on January 22 when Ross was picking up students from Jimboomba State School. He says he noted a lack of teachers to serve as bus monitors (as required by the school) and, after cleaning his bus and checking for belongings, left the vehicle to look for teachers. “I got out of the bus, went to the back to look and there was nobody there. There was nobody at the gate, no teachers, nobody walking down. Nobody.” It’s believed that while Ross was helping the students as they waited for teachers or parents to arrive, five-year-old Alyssa snuck onto the bus, went to the back and fell asleep, unbeknownst to Ross. He and a number of other witnesses claim they never saw anyone waiting at the Yarrabilba bus stop, where Alyssa would have disembarked, despite the girl’s mother saying otherwise. “If she was I would’ve stopped. I would’ve wondered what she was doing there and thought where’s Alyssa and naturally stopped. That would’ve been the end of that.” Tell us in the comment below, do you believe Ross’s termination was unfair? Image credit: 9 News.

Retirement Income

Hospital parking fees cut after petition from sick boy

NSW hospital <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/insurance/2016/05/have-hospital-parking-fees-become-too-high/">parking fees are set to be cut</a>, after a petition created by a 14-year-old with a rare blood disorder, garnered more than 70,000 signatures. Gidon Goodman’s condition requires him going to the hospital for regular transfusions, and concerns that the exorbitant hospital parking costs would dissuade <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/insurance/2016/06/10-items-to-pack-for-an-extended-hospital-stay/">families from visiting sick relatives</a> led him to create the online petition. On Monday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian responded to the campaign, announcing, “a huge reduction in car parking fees” at all <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/insurance/2016/08/10-secrets-hospitals-dont-want-you-to-know/">New South Wales hospitals</a>. The changes could see sick patients and carers spared as much as $200 a week, with frequent visitors eligible for concessions that would see weekly charges as low as $21.20. Ms Berejiklian praised Gidon’s efforts for advocating change, telling <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/" target="_blank">ABC News</a>, “It does mean negotiating, it also means as a government we have to do what's called forego revenue. So we're talking millions and millions of dollars. “We will be contributing to this every year. Today is about people making a difference... a teenager like Gidon making a difference.” Gidon said he was thankful for the decision, “I'm now unbelievably proud to be able to say that the Premier and the Health Minister are introducing a policy which is going to do amazing things for the families. “Someone (visiting) once a week for a year will be saving $1,600. These changes are going to be helping people who go (regularly visit hospitals) long term, helping families, people having babies (who) have to go longer than two days in a row.” What an incredible young man. Leave any messages of congratulations below. Image credit: Twitter / ajsmith

Money & Banking

Barbie now comes in petite, tall and curvy body shapes

Barbie, once a doll with one sole purpose, now an icon trying to fit in to society’s expectations. The Barbie doll has been a controversial object, too skinny, too white, too unrealistic with her long legs and big breasts and ridiculous portrayal of “perfection”. Mattel has finally announced that Barbie’s new collection will see three various body types, that being petite, tall and curvy. With this new addition, they’ve also decided to include seven new skin tone colours to recognize various nationalities representing ethnicity and race. On their website, Mattel described the change as a reflection of today’s lifestyle for young girls. “By introducing more variety into the line, Barbie is offering girls choices that are better reflective of the world they see today. 2016 Barbie collection includes 4 body types, 7 skin tones, 18 eye colours, 18 hairstyles and various trend fashions and accessories.” Despite the doll being just a toy, it has come under scrutiny in playing an important part for the portrayal of a ‘normal’ woman with ‘bimbo’ expectations. The doll has evolved from being just Kens girlfriend in a bikini to President Barbie and even Barbie scientist. Let’s just hope Barbie tries to keep up with our continually expanding and developing society. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/tv/2016/01/evolution-of-tv/">The Evolution of the TV: Then and now</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/tv/2016/01/best-of-the-90s-tv-hits/">Best of the 90s TV hits</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/tv/2015/12/tv-shows-you-forgot-about/">11 of the best TV shows we’d forgot about</a>

News

Petition to put Fred Hollows on Australian $5 note gains support from high profile Aussies

A petition has been launched this week to honour ground-breaking eye surgeon Fred Hollows, by having his face featured on the Australian $5 note. During his life Dr Hollows helped treat eye disease in impoverished communities around the world, and his foundation has helped restore eyesight to more than 2 million people. The petition to “Put Fred on a Fiver” was launched this week amid plans for the Reserve Bank to update the $5 note next year and has already found some high profile support in former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freemen and media personality Ray Martin. <img width="500" height="334" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/14537/fred-hollows-in-text_500x334.jpg" alt="Fred Hollows In Text" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Brian Doolan, chief executive of the Fred Hollows Foundation, says this would be a great way to pay homage to one of our greatest Australians, “The images on notes at the moment are all of great Australians most of whom did wonderful things in Australia, some of whom had an international career But Fred Hollows has actually touched the lives of millions of people around the world.” The petition intends to replace the image of parliament house with an image of Dr Hollows. To view the petition <a href="http://action.hollows.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=16719&track=fiverorg" target="_blank">click here</a>. Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/01/maggie-beer-popular-aged-care-food-course/">Maggie Beer to take popular aged care food course Australia wide</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/01/overpriced-abosch-potato-photograph/">Ridiculous amount someone willing to pay for photo of potato</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/01/crocodile-takes-morning-dip-swimming-pool/">This crocodile takes morning dip in swimming pool</a>

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Barbie now comes in petite, tall and curvy body shapes

Petition to put Fred Hollows on Australian $5 note gains support from high profile Aussies

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