Australian authors, historians, publishers and poets have just one week to enter Australia’s richest literary awards, Arts Minister Simon Crean announced today.

Entries are flooding in for the 2012 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, which close on February 1. A total of $600,000 will be awarded across six award categories, including the inaugural Poetry Award.

“It was my pleasure to announce with the Prime Minister last year the new poetry category, which recognises the significant contribution poetry makes to Australia’s literary landscape,” Mr Crean said.

“From bush ballad to hip hop, poetry is ingrained in the cultural life of our nation and our great poets deserve to be recognised alongside our best authors and historians.”

Mr Crean said he was pleased with the large number of entries received so far across all award categories, including the newly incorporated Prize for Australian History which can include documentaries, websites, TV series and journals.

“Now in their fifth year, the annual Prime Minister’s Literary Awards celebrate the contribution of Australian literature and history to the nation’s cultural and intellectual life and recognise the pre-eminent literary talent that exists within our country,” Mr Crean said.

“The judging panels have already begun reviewing the entries and I look forward to announcing the shortlists later this year.”

Awards will be given for adult fiction, non-fiction, Australian history, poetry, young adult fiction and children’s fiction. The winner of each award will receive $80,000 tax-free in prize money and the shortlisted entries will be awarded $5,000 tax-free.

Entries close at 5.00pm AEDT, Wednesday 1 February 2012.

For entry forms and eligibility guidelines visit www.arts.gov.au/pmliteraryawards

More than 7000 sign petition on Change.org calling for Queensland to reform law that allows “gay panic” defence in murder cases

A Queensland priest has gathered more than seven thousand supporters to his online campaign to close a legal loophole that allows people accused of murder to defend themselves by claiming “gay panic”.

Just over two years ago, a man was brutally killed in Father Paul Kelly’s church grounds in Maryborough. The defendants used the notorious “gay panic” defence - that if someone they think is gay “comes onto” them, the sheer panic they feel is partial justification for murder.

The two men were eventually acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter (although their “gay panic” defence was not accepted). There have been a number of other cases in Queensland where non-violent homosexual advance has been put forward as a partial defence to murder.

Father Kelly was so outraged that the “gay panic” law still existed in Queensland that he started a Change.org petition calling for it to be dropped. More than 7000 people have already signed the petition.

“I’m utterly appalled that a law that so revoltingly and openly discriminates against gay people is still tolerated in a modern society,” said Father Kelly, at the St Mary’s parish in Maryborough.

“Laws like the ‘gay panic’ defence are a crucial part of legitimising and reinforcing a culture of hate which means that 73% of gay and lesbian Queenslanders are subjected to verbal abuse or physical violence for their sexuality.

“Queensland is now one of the last states upholding the idea that a person can be panicked enough by homosexual people to justify grievously bashing them to the point that they die, no matter how mild the alleged action.  In addition, the mere introduction of this evidence arguably pollutes jury deliberations. That’s why I am calling on the Queensland parliament and LNP leader Campbell Newman to eliminate this law as a partial defence for murder.”

Father Kelly said discussions with the Attorney General’s department indicated the Bligh government was not prepared to go far enough to close the loophole.

“Given the failure of the Government to act, the petition is an opportunity for the Opposition Leader to take a positive step towards reducing discrimination and violence towards gay and lesbian people in Queensland,” said Father Kelly.

The LNP Member for Hervey Bay, Ted Sorensen, has promised Father Kelly he will take the issue to Parliament if the petition hits 10,000 signatures.

Change.org is the world’s fastest growing platform for social change, enabling anyone, anywhere to start, join and win campaigns for change in their community.

For updates on Father Kelly’s petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/eliminate-the-gay-panic-defence-from-queensland-law-gaypanic

For more information on Change.org, please visit:
http://www.change.org/about

Cold turkey is the preferred method for giving up smoking according to public health researchers at the University of Sydney - with more than two-thirds of smokers giving up permanently.

Led by Dr Sally Dunlop, a research specialist in the determinants of health-related behaviours, the team is launching a study that will investigate how and why smokers choose different methods for giving up.

Officially labelled ‘unassisted cessation’ the cold turkey method is the most common form of successful smoking cessation. According to Dr Dunlop this method has been understudied and unexploited as the major contributor to national cessation rates.

“Both prior to and since the advent of nicotine replacement and other pharmacological therapies, unassisted cessation has proved to be the approach which most smokers use to finally stop.”

“We believe it is time to pay much closer attention to the potential role of the cold turkey method,” says Dr Dunlop.

The study will concentrate on data from interviews with ex-smokers who have quit for a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of five years, with a focus on those with nearer to five years continuous abstinence.

“We also intend to study a smaller group who are attempting to quit unassisted during the study period,” states Dr Dunlop.

Co-researcher on the study, Simon Chapman, Professor in Public Health at the Sydney Medical School, says Australia has progressively introduced the world’s most comprehensive population-focused tobacco control program. The government target of getting smoking prevalence to ten percent by 2020 might be overly optimistic however unless we understand why unassisted methods of giving up are the most successful.

“If we can understand why this method appears to work for most ex-smokers we can create relevant and impactful future tobacco control policies and practice. We can also help create the relevant support mechanisms for persons wanting to give up cigarettes,” he says.

Recent NSW data show that, of smokers and ex-smokers who made a recent quit attempt, 30-43 percent reported using quit smoking medications, less than 10 percent reported calling the Quitline, and less than five percent used smoking cessation clinics.

“Today’s male lung cancer incidence rates were last seen in 1962, and female rates will never reach even half the peak rates once seen in men,” say Professor Chapman.

But with just over 15 percent of people aged over 14 still smoking daily it’s time to learn more about the way that most ex-smokers stopped.

The two-year study, which will commence in January, has been funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

A world away from the turkey and tinsel of an Antipodean Christmas, Australian Red Cross aid workers will be helping out across the globe in disaster, conflict and development zones this festive season.

At any one time Australian Red Cross has around 50 aid workers – skilled, experienced paid professionals such as nurses, doctors, nutritionists and engineers – working in countries as diverse as Pakistan, Panama and the Philippines. Australian Red Cross’ aid worker program is partly funded by the Government’s aid agency, AusAID.

Aid workers help ensure humanitarian assistance reaches the most vulnerable, whether it be food, water and shelter for communities cut off by an natural disaster or medical treatment for civilians caught up in a conflict. They are often faced with challenging, isolating and sometimes insecure working conditions, but they say the rewards of helping – and living among – those most in need are enormous.

These are some of the Red Cross aid workers from Australia on assignment this Christmas:

Ann-Marie McCabe will be spending this Christmas in Gaza City, Occupied Palestinian Territory. Ann-Marie, who arrived in Gaza in March on a year long posting, runs food security and livelihood programs for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The programs provide agricultural and income support projects, such as cash for work schemes and small business grants, aimed at helping farmers living near the Israeli Security Fence, people with physical disabilities and those affected by the high levels of unemployment due to the closure of the Gaza Strip.

The Melbourne woman, who has plans for a traditional Christmas dinner with the other expats in Gaza, says it can be hard being away at Christmas. ‘I miss my family and friends, the good vibes of the silly season. When I was in Afghanistan, obviously a Muslim country, for Christmas a few years ago, our colleagues were sensitive to the fact that we missed our families and did their bit to make us feel at home – we were given personal "Merry Christmas" cards, and they even got us a pine tree to decorate. So I’m not sure what to expect this year in Gaza.’ Ann-Marie previously worked for Red Cross in Herat, Afghanistan, and in Cambodia with Australian Volunteers International and CARE International.

Chris Howe will be in Haiti this Christmas. Chris, a retired builder, is involved in a recycling project which uses the rubble left behind by the devastating earthquake which stuck the country in January 2010 to make concrete products, such as pavers, drains, and steps. He’s also involved in a livelihood scheme for local people, which provides training programs, access to finance and marketing. The Mildura man, who is based at the Red Cross Base Camp in Port au Prince, has been in Haiti for the last 15 months.  He says he plans to spend his Christmas reading, cooking and gardening.

Operating theatre nurse Kass Keenan, from Brunswick, Melbourne, will be working in a hospital in Peshawar in northern Pakistan this Christmas and Boxing Day. The hospital, run by the ICRC, those from both sides of the conflict injured in fighting in Afghanistan and the Pakistan tribal areas. The patients are mostly men, but also women and children, with injuries from gunshots, landmines, and mortar blasts.  Kass, who grew up in Perth, WA, has also worked in Cambodia, Ethiopia, the West and Gaza with other NGOs.

‘My family are always away around the world, so it's not such a big issue to be apart from them at Christmas – we always try to meet up somewhere, so we’ll have a belated Christmas in January. We're planning an orphans Christmas here in Pakistan too with the other expats,’ said Kass, who has been in Pakistan since July.

Peter Giugni will be setting up the ICRC's first regional office in Afghanistan’s volatile Khost province, one of the most conflict-affected areas in the country. The Sydney man will head up the new post from which the ICRC will help families who have been separated by conflict to keep in touch, run health programs for civilians and wounded combatants, visit prisons and detention centres, provide material assistance to civilians displaced by armed conflict, and work to protect civilians through confidential dialogue with those on all sides of the conflict.

Peter isn’t sure what he will be doing for Christmas. ‘We have a big job moving truckloads of generators and equipment to our new office, which began on December 15. If we're settled in, I'll try and come back to Kabul for Christmas.’ He says Christmas doesn’t figure much in Afghanistan. ‘It’s definitely one of the tougher times of the year to be away, and I’ll be craving my family and friends. At the same time, it's an interesting experience to be away from all of the usual rush and celebration and to reflect on the past year in a very different setting.’

Arts Minister Simon Crean today announced an independent review of the Australia Council for the Arts ahead of the development of the nation’s first National Cultural Policy in almost 20 years.

Mr Crean said the Australia Council had a proud record of helping local artists develop their talent and connect with national and international audiences.

“The new National Cultural Policy will set the framework for Australian Government support for the arts, culture and the creative industries for the next decade,” he said.

“In line with the broader conversation about Australia’s future cultural policy, we have an opportunity to look closely at what aspects of the current model can be improved.

“There has been a huge response from artists, audiences and community groups to the discussion paper on the National Cultural Policy.

“As part of this work, we must have responsive, timely and expert agencies to deliver support to artists and arts organisations as they respond to new audiences and opportunities including those opening up with emerging art forms and technologies.

“That is why I am pleased to announce that Mr Angus James and Ms Gabrielle Trainor will review the Australia Council for the Arts and its links with other arts support organisations and agencies.

“The Australian Government is strongly committed to the independent peer assessment process to assess and award grants to artists.

“Through the broader consultation on the National Cultural Policy, stakeholders also told us there were areas of arts support delivery that needed to change to deal with a vastly changed cultural landscape and an increasing convergence of art forms.

“This is the first major review of the work of the Council and other agencies since the 1980s. The reviewers will consider the feedback and work closely with the Australia Council and its Executive and the outcomes of their independent review will be considered as part of the National Cultural Policy.”

Mr Crean said Mr James and Ms Trainor had extensive experience in corporate change and governance in both the public and private sector.

Angus James is a Principal Partner of Aquasia, an independent corporate advisory partnership which he founded in late 2009.

Mr James is also a board member of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, and the Deputy Chairman of the Australian Chamber Orchestra.  He was previously Chief Executive of ABN AMRO Australia and New Zealand, and a member of ABN AMRO’s Asian Management Team, which oversaw all of its retail, investment banking and asset management activities across 17 countries in Asia Pacific. He is also past Non-Executive Director of the Business Council of Australia.

Gabrielle Trainor is a company director and former lawyer, journalist and public sector executive. She was a founding partner in John Connolly and Partners, a firm which advises large listed companies on the management of difficult issues.

Over the past 15 years, Ms Trainor has been a director of a range of public, private and not for profit entities. Of particular relevance to the review is her experience as a director of organisations including Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Youth Orchestra and Cape York Partnerships.

Ms Trainor was a member of the Victorian Government’s Aboriginal Economic Development Group which reported last year. She is an honorary associate in the Graduate School of Government at Sydney University.

Minister Crean said a Reference Group would now provide expert advice on the development of the National Cultural Policy in 2012.

More information about the policy is at www.culture.arts.gov.au

Making baking healthy!

Baking your own cakes, biscuits and other treats is great fun! It also gives you the opportunity to control exactly what is going into your food, avoiding nasty additives and allergenic foods.

There are many easy substitutions that you can make when it comes to baking. Using natural sugar alternatives, different flours and natural flavourings can turn an unhealthy food into a healthy and satisfying treat.  Baking is all about experimentation (it is a science after all). Trying new ingredients will give you success and disasters, but once you get the feeling for it you will be able to create some great food that will benefit your and your family’s health.

SUGAR

Sugar is one of the very worst things we can put into our body. It offers little to no nutrition, spikes our blood sugar levels and robs our body of vital nutrients. Try these sugar alternatives next time you bake:

Xylitol

Xylitol is a naturally derived fruit sugar that can be used interchangeably for sugar in baking. It has a low glycaemic index, helps to prevent tooth decay, and out of all of the sugar substitutes it tastes the closest to sugar.

Stevia

Stevia is a herb that has  a natural sweetness with extremely low calories. The sweetness comes from pythochemicals called steviol glycosides, not from actual sugars, meaning that is has the lowest GI of all sugar substitutes. Stevia is super sweet, so you only need to use a small amount. You can buy in a powdered form or a liquid extract.

Honey

Raw honey is a truly natural sweetener, coming straight from the bee hive to you. Honey is well tolerated by diabetics and those with blood sugar issues. You can use honey in most recipes, but remember that as it is liquid you may need to adjust the amount of flour or other ingredients.  Pure honey  also contains B vitamins and trace minerals.

Maple syrup

Maple syrup (the 100% pure form not the sweetened variety) is a great choice for sweeteners containing manganese, zinc, B2, calcium and magnesium. Maple syrup has a delicious malty taste. Like honey you will need to adjust the amount of flour or dried ingredients you use.

FLOUR

Wheat flour (especially white flour) has been refined and bleached to make it more uniform. A better choice would be organic wholegrain flour, which at least will be free of chemicals. Try these other alternatives too…

Spelt flour

Spelt is a grain related to wheat that is great for those with wheat intolerance or sensitivity. Spelt is lower in gluten than wheat and generally higher in nutrients. You can substitute spelt flour 1:1 in recipes.

Kamut flour

Although not as readily available as spelt flour kamut is a great alternative to flour in baking, having a low GI and being high in protein.

Buckwheat flour - GF

Buckwheat is a good gluten free alternative in baking. Buckwheat is alkaline (anti-inflammatory), high in calcium and other minerals. As buckwheat has no gluten it is more suited for use in biscuits and denser cakes, as it will not rise as flour with gluten does.

Coconut flour - GF

Coconut flour is a healthy alternative for use in baking biscuits, brownies and slices.

Almond flour - GF

Almond flour is a high protein, nutritious gluten free flour options that is great for making friands and cakes. The only downside is that almond flour will contain oxidised oils which are not so great for your health. Make you own flour in a nut grinder to reduce this possibility.

OILS

There are many healthy oil options to add to your baking. The number one rule is NO MARGARINE! It is very detrimental to your health. Also don’t use polyunsaturated oils such as olive and sunflower oil in cooking as they can easily turn into trans fats.

Butter

Butter is actually a very good option for cooking as long as it is organic. Organic butter is very heat stable and has good amount of the fat soluble vitamins A, E and D. It also contains butyric acid, which helps to improve gut health.

Coconut Oil - DF

Coconut oil is another great oil to use in baking as it is very heat stable and has many health benefits.  You can substitute coconut oil for most other oils in cooking easily.

Cold pressed oils

The best liquid oils to use in baking muffins and the like is macadamia or rice bran oil, both of which have a high smoke point so will produce less trans on cooking.

BAKING POWDER

A little known fact is that conventional baking powder contains aluminium, which is detrimental to your health. Buy only aluminium free baking powder and pure bicarbonate of soda.

COLOURINGS

Artificial food colourings are chemical based and should be avoided, especially with children. Try these alternatives to add colour to baking.

Beetroot

You can use beetroot powder available at health food shops) and even just a little beetroot juice is enough to give a red/pink colour to foods.

Turmeric

A little turmeric added to hot water makes a bright yellow colouring. Don’t use too much though!

Berries

Pureed frozen berries make a great purple or red colour – just add some hot water to defrost then blend to a paste.

In a new blow to broadcaster Southern Cross Austereo, at least 15 major brands pledge not to advertise on any program Kyle Sandilands hosts on the station in 2012.

Some of Australia’s biggest brand names, including Coles, Bunnings, Vodafone, McDonalds, Ford and Blackmores, indicated their boycott of the 2Day FM host would extend into next year.

The announcements counter suggestions by some industry commentators that the advertising backlash against Sandilands, sparked by his on-air attack on a female journalist, would be temporary. It also comes at the time of year when broadcasters traditionally try to lock in long-term advertising contracts for 2012.

“Our very clear position in relation to the offensive and inappropriate comments made by Kyle Sandilands remains that we are not and will not advertise on programmes hosted by him,” Coles said in a statement posted today on the Change.org website.

“[Vodafone is] committed to not advertising with on any show (TV or radio) hosted by Kyle Sandilands in 2012,” Vodafone said in its statement.

In confirming it would not advertise in 2012, Blackmores said: “We have put all our advertising with the Austereo network on hold until we have a conversation with their management about how they will handle this situation. There has been no movement on this, our situation still stands.”

Ford said: “Ford won't be advertising with the Kyle & Jackie O show or other Austereo programs with which Kyle is involved (such as the Top 40 for example) at all going forward. Our action to withdraw that advertising was permanent.”

The list of companies pledging on the Change.org website not to advertise on any Sandilands platform in 2012 includes Coles, Bunnings, Vodafone, McDonalds, Blackmores, Ford, CUA, Tourism NSW, University of NSW, NIDA, Beaurepaires, Amex, GIO, Libra and the Art Gallery of NSW.

At the same time, consumers who signed the petition on Change.org calling for the advertising ban are now turning to social media to target those companies who are silent on their plans for 2012.

Companies feeling the heat on social media include:

Myer: https://www.facebook.com/myer.mystore?sk=wall&filter=1

Telstra: https://www.facebook.com/Telstra?sk=wall&filter=12

Harvey Norman: https://www.facebook.com/HarveyNormanAU?sk=wall

More than 26,500 people have signed Emily Hehir’s petition on Change.org, with at least 60 advertisers withdrawing their support at an estimated cost to SCA of $8 million.

But some industry commentators questioned whether the boycott would be short-lived and that many of those 60 advertisers may come back on air next year when the controversy died down.

The announcements by major brands such as Coles, McDonalds and Vodafone that they will not be back in 2012 will likely increase pressure on the remaining advertisers to follow suit.

For a more complete list of advertisers and their current status:

http://news.change.org/stories/advertisers-rule-out-sandilands-for-2012

For live signature numbers:

http://www.change.org/petitions/2day-and-fox-fm-sponsors-cancel-advertising-until-kyle-sandilands-is-dumped-from-radio-vilekyle

With hot weather on its way vets are providing some practical tips to keep your pets cool over the summer months.

“Vet clinics are often inundated by calls from concerned pet owners during summer heat waves but there are some simple tips that can help to prevent or minimise problems,” said Dr David Neck from the Australian Veterinary Association.

“It’s important to remember that dogs and cats can’t sweat to cool down like we do. They need to pant in order to regulate their temperature, and dogs and cats with long hair can be more susceptible to the effects of the heat,” he said.

Ten top tips for dogs and cats in the Queensland climate:

▪ Make sure there is cool, fresh water available at all times. Leave this in a shady area.
 On really hot days it might be worth leaving multiple bowls of cool water in the shade that can’t be tipped over.

▪ Keep an eye on older pets as they will be more susceptible to the heat particularly if they have problems with their breathing.

▪ Dogs love to sit in the sun, but prolonged sun exposure can quickly lead to heat exhaustion and can cause skin cancers so it’s important to provide them with a shaded area.

▪ One way to provide relief from the heat is to fill the kids’ paddling pool with a couple of inches of water and leave this in a shady spot for your dog to sit in.

▪ Tossing a few ice cubes in your dog or cat’s water bowl can help to keep their temperature down and provide some relief on a hot day.

▪ If you don’t have air conditioning think about leaving a fan on during those really hot days in the height of summer.

▪ Try to exercise your dog in the early morning or the late evening to avoid the hottest part of the day.

▪ Consider putting some treats in the freezer. These can be given to your pet as a pet popsicle on really hot days. They’ll help cool your pet down and give them something to do when you’re out.

▪ If you own a long haired dog, consider giving them a trim to help them cope better with the hotter summer months.

“And it goes without saying that you really must never leave a pet unattended in a car, even when the weather isn’t very hot,” said Dr Neck.

Your local vet can give you further advice about ways to keep you pet cool during the summer months.

Australian Red Cross has spearheaded a decision taken on the weekend in Geneva by the supreme governing body of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to work towards a legally binding international agreement to ensure nuclear weapons are never used again and are ultimately eliminated.

The decision to support the initiative was taken by the Council of Delegates of the Movement which is comprised of representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the 187 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies and the International Federation.

The decision is of critical importance as it challenges the legitimacy of nuclear weapons ever being used as a weapon of war because of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences, in particular on civilian populations, and the threat to world food production over wide areas of the world.

‘Australian Red Cross is proud to have played a leading role in the decision which is the first time the supreme decision making body of the International Red Cross has taken such a definitive stand on this critical issue of International Humanitarian Law,’ said the President of Australian Red Cross, Greg Vickery AM speaking from Geneva.

‘Australian Red Cross worked with Japanese Red Cross and the Norwegian Red Cross to drive the campaign on this issue by convening a meeting in Oslo, Norway earlier this year to draft the resolution which was ultimately passed on the weekend,’ Mr Vickery said.

Australian Red Cross CEO, Mr Robert Tickner said ‘within Australia we have already gained huge public support for this initiative through our Facebook tab and campaign website promoting a referendum on the use of nuclear weapons and building public awareness of the massive destructive capacity of nuclear weapons through a simulated nuclear bomb explosion.’

The ‘Target Nuclear Weapons’ campaign has already received over 23,000 votes with 86% of people voting YES to ban the use of nuclear weapons. Our campaign has reached more than 565,000 people through a social explosion of Facebook posts and tweets calling for a ban on the use of nuclear weapons, and this number is still growing.

‘We are also delighted that we have received strong support for our initiative from the Opposition, from the Australian Greens, and from prominent members of the Government side of the Parliament,’ Mr Tickner said.

‘How wonderful it would be if Australia could be a global champion in support of this Red Cross initiative,’ Mr Tickner said.

Australian Red Cross Head of International Law Dr Helen Durham said ‘the weekend decision makes it abundantly clear that the use of nuclear weapons can never again be considered as legitimate weapons of war.’

‘The proliferation of these weapons in an increasing number of countries and the threat of other groups gaining capacity to use nuclear weapons should be a wake-up call to the world and Red Cross will be carrying the message to the Government and to the wider Australian community.’

‘Nuclear weapons are an increasing threat to all civilian populations in the event of conflict. If we can achieve treaties to control the use of land mines and cluster munitions as we successfully have, then we cannot turn our backs on the need to get agreement on a global convention to outlaw this evil weapon forever,’ Mr Tickner said.

“An astonishing and illuminating insight into a part of society that is often hidden. Through the character of Rachel we are taken on a journey about sexuality and disability that is surprising, funny, moving, informative and confronting. The filmmaker takes us into areas of human intimacy with fearlessness, compassion and sensitivity.” – from the Walkley Award judge’s comments

Impassioned about freedom of sexual expression, Australian sex worker Rachel Wotton works with many clients who have disabilities. Her work has become the subject of the latest documentary from award-winning director Catherine Scott and producer Pat Fiske, Scarlet Road.  Filmed over a three year period, Scarlet Road follows Rachel in her relationship with John, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 26 years ago, and Mark, a client with cerebral palsy and reveals the therapeutic aspects of human touch and sexual intimacy. This unique documentary gives voice to two men generously sharing moments of sexual self-discovery.

“People with disability are not seen as sexual beings and on the other hand sex workers are often portrayed as oversexed, victims or damaged goods. I really wanted to tackle these stereotypes head on,” says Scott who filmed Rachel for over 3 years. ”It was a delicate balance. I wanted to show the touch and intimacy, without objectifying Rachel or her clients and reveal the sexual tenderness without titillating or shocking the audience.

Scarlet Road shows Rachel in her daily life and follows her on a journey to the UK, Denmark and Sweden, where she meets with sex workers, people with disabilities and their families, as well as making quite an impression as a speaker at the World Congress for Sexual Health.

In addition to undertaking a Masters in Sexual Health at the University of Sydney, Rachel is an active campaigner for the rights of sex workers. She co-founded the charitable organisation Touching Base to connect people with disabilities and sex workers – focusing on access, discrimination, human rights, legal issues and the social stigma that these two marginalised communities can face. One of Rachel’s dreams is to raise enough money to set up Touching Base in every state and territory in Australia – and then the world.

The winner for Best Documentary will be announced at the Walkley Awards annual gala dinner in Brisbane on 27 November.

Scarlet Road premiered at the Sydney International Film Festival and was nominated for Best documentary Foxtel award at this event.

Scarlet Road premieres Friday 2 December at 10.05pm on SBS ONE.