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Stellan Skarsgård

Stellan John Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier, appearing in Breaking the Waves (1996), Dancer in the Dark (2000), Dogville (2003), Melancholia (2011), and Nymphomaniac (2013). Skarsgård's English-speaking film roles include The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Good Will Hunting (1997), Ronin (1998), and King Arthur (2004).

Skarsgård has since starred in various blockbusters such as Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007). He also starred in Mamma Mia! (2008), Angels and Demons (2009), David Fincher's thriller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011). He played Dr. Erik Selvig in five Marvel Cinematic Universe films, starting with Thor (2011), and portrayed Baron Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve's two-part Dune adaptation, Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024).

He is also known for his work in television portraying Boris Shcherbina in the HBO miniseries Chernobyl (2019) for which he received the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. He stars in the Star Wars prequel series Andor (2022).

Early life
Skarsgård was born in Gothenburg, the son of Gudrun (née Larsson; born 1930) and Jan Skarsgård (1920–1998). He moved often in his childhood and lived, amongst other places, in Helsingborg, Totebo, Kalmar, Marielund, and Uppsala.

Acting career
Skarsgård started his acting career early; and, by the age of 21, his experience in film, TV and stage was considerable. Most of his early roles were in Swedish television (such as Bombi Bitt) and films. Of Skarsgård's work in Swedish film, he is known for Good Evening, Mr. Wallenberg, where he portrays Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who worked to save Holocaust victims.

Skarsgård is particularly associated with director Lars von Trier and has appeared in six of the Danish auteur's features: The Kingdom, Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, Melancholia, and Nymphomaniac. His most personal working relationship, however, is with Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland, who has directed the actor in Zero Kelvin, Aberdeen, In Order of Disappearance, and A Somewhat Gentle Man. Skarsgård considers Moland a close friend and, in 2009, he said of their relationship: "We're like an old married couple and I get separation anxiety." Another Scandinavian work that he is known for is the 1997 Norwegian film Insomnia, in which he plays the guilt-ridden policeman Jonas Engström.

Skarsgård's first American film was the 1985 film Noon Wine, directed by Michael Fields, in which Skarsgård played a mentally disturbed immigrant farmhand being chased by a bounty hunter. He acted opposite Fred Ward, who portrayed the farmer. In 1990, he starred in another American film, The Hunt for Red October, playing the character of Captain Tupolev, a Soviet submarine commander.

Primarily a character actor, he played one of Demi Moore's two love interests in Passion of Mind (2000), directed by Alain Berliner. Skarsgård appeared as a guest star on Entourage as Verner Vollstedt, the German director of the fictional film Smokejumpers, who is hostile to the main character Vincent Chase. Skarsgård appeared as Bootstrap Bill Turner in both Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. In 2008, he starred as Bill Anderson in Universal Pictures' Mamma Mia! and reprised the role 10 years later in its sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Skarsgård played Dr. Erik Selvig in the 2011 film Thor, and later reprised the role in Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), as well as The Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Skarsgård reteamed with Thor director Kenneth Branagh for the 2015 live-action adaptation of Disney's Cinderella, in which he played The Grand Duke. In 2021, he played Vladimir Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve's Dune.

Skarsgård has appeared in music videos alongside fellow Swedes. He was in Eva Dahlgren's "Vem tänder stjärnorna" (Who Lights the Stars) in 1991 and Lykke Li's 2011 music video, "Sadness Is a Blessing".

Personal life
In April 1975, Skarsgård married Swedish doctor My (born 1956). Before divorcing in May 2007, they had six children together: Alexander (born 1976), Gustaf (born 1980), Sam (born 1982), Bill (born 1990), Eija (born 1992), and Valter (born 1995). Alexander, Gustaf, Bill, and Valter are also actors, while Eija was a model for a few years. Skarsgård married Irish screenwriter and producer Megan Everett in January 2009. They have two sons together. In 2016, Skarsgård revealed that he had a vasectomy because he felt that eight children was enough.

Religious beliefs
Skarsgård was brought up by humanist, atheist parents, and had an atheist grandfather and a deeply religious grandmother. According to Skarsgård, this never led to any problems because of the family's mutual respect for each other's opinions. After the September 11 attacks, Skarsgård set out to read the Bible and the Quran, both of which he condemns as violent. Skarsgård is also a critic of religious independent schools in the Swedish educational system. He has said he considers the notion of God absurd and that if a real God were actually so vain as to constantly demand worship, then he would not be worthy of it.

In 2009, Skarsgård, along with other non-religious artists, authors, and entrepreneurs including Christer Sturmark, Björn Ulvaeus, and Christer Fuglesang, wrote an article in Dagens Nyheter stressing the importance of secularity. The group also criticised the UN for its stance on blasphemy laws.

Political views
Skarsgård has voiced support for Swedish tax policies, and for a high income tax rate for high earners.

Skarsgård is avowedly anti-nationalist.

title: Stellan Skarsgård


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Curate's egg

A "curate's egg" is something described as partly bad and partly good. In its original usage, it referred to something that is obviously and entirely bad, but is described out of politeness as nonetheless having good features that redeem it. This meaning has been largely supplanted by its less ironic modern usage, which refers to something that is in fact an indeterminate mix of good and bad, possibly with a preponderance of bad qualities.

History
The expression is pre-dated by an anecdote in Our Bishops and Deans by the Reverend F. Arnold, referenced in an issue of The Academy: A Weekly Review of Literature, Science, and Art: "Without pledging our credence, we could afford a grin to the story of the 'young Levite' who at a bishop's breakfast-table, was so as to decline the replacement of a bad egg by a good one with a 'No thank you, my Lord, it's good enough for me'."

In May 1895, the satirical British magazine Judy published a cartoon by artist Wilkerson, showing a timid curate and a fierce-looking bishop at breakfast in the bishop's house. The bishop says, "Dear me, I'm afraid your egg's not good!" The curate, desperate not to offend his host and superior, replies, "Oh, yes, my Lord, really – er – some parts of it are good." In November that year, the magazine Punch (which had a much wider circulation than Judy) published a similar cartoon by staff illustrator George du Maurier. Titled True Humility, it also pictures a timid-looking curate eating breakfast with his bishop, though in this case with others at the table and servants shown in the background. The bishop says: "I'm afraid you've got a bad egg, Mr Jones." The curate replies: "Oh no, my Lord, I assure you! Parts of it are excellent!" An editor at Judy accused Punch of plagiarism, saying in an editorial, "anyone can see the coincidence for themselves". This version of the gag has become the best known.

For the final issue of Punch, published in 1992, an artist, Tony Hannan, redrew the du Maurier cartoon, with the curate simply saying, "This f***ing egg's bad!"

The Economist Style Guide of 2018 cites the curate's egg in its entry for the connotations of 'good in parts'. It states: "good in parts is what the curate said about an egg that was wholly bad. He was trying to be polite."

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Curate's egg


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Citroën BX

The Citroën BX is a large family car which was produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1982 to 1994. In total, 2,315,739 BXs were built during its 12-year history. The hatchback was discontinued in 1993 with the arrival of the Xantia, but the estate continued for another year. The BX was designed to be lightweight, using particularly few body parts, including many made from plastics.

History
The Citroën BX was announced in June 1982, but its commercial life really only began in the Autumn of that year, with a Paris presentation on 2 October 1982 under the Eiffel Tower. The BX was designed to replace the successful small family car Citroën GS/GSA that was launched in 1970, with a larger vehicle (although the GSA continued until 1986). The French advertising campaign used the slogan "J'aime, j'aime, j'aime" showing the car accompanied by music written specially by Julien Clerc. The British advertising campaign used the slogan "Loves Driving, Hates Garages", reflecting the effort of Citroën to promote the reduced maintenance costs of the BX, over the higher than average maintenance costs of the technologically advanced GS/GSA; while still performing in the Citroën style on the road. The angular hatchback was designed by Marcello Gandini of Bertone, based on his unused design for the British 1977 Reliant FW11 concept and his 1979 Volvo Tundra concept car. It was the second car to benefit from the merger of Peugeot and Citroën in 1976, the first being the Citroën Visa launched in 1978. The BX shared its platform with the more conventional 405 that appeared in 1987, except the rear suspension which is from a Peugeot 305 Break. Among the features that set the car apart from the competition was the traditional Citroën hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension, extensive use of plastic body panels (bonnet, tailgate, bumpers), and front and rear disc brakes.

The BX was launched onto the right-hand drive UK market in August 1983, initially only with 1.4 and 1.6 petrol engines, although by 1986 it had been joined by more engine options as well as a five-door estate model. The BX enjoyed a four-year run as the UK's best selling diesel engine car from 1987, and was one of the most popular foreign-built cars there during the second half of the 1980s. However, just 485 examples were remaining on Britain's roads by February 2016.

The BX dispensed with the air cooled, flat four engine which powered the GS, and replaced it with the new PSA group XY, TU and XU series of petrol engines in 1360 cc, 1580 cc and, from 1984, 1905 cc displacements. A 1124 cc engine, very unusual in a car of this size, was also available in countries where car tax was a direct function of engine capacity, such as Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Greece. The 1.1 and 1.4 models used the PSA X engine (known widely as the "Douvrin" or "Suitcase Engine"), the product of an earlier Peugeot/Renault joint venture, and already fitted in the Peugeot 104 and Renault 14. The 1.6 version was the first car to use the all-new short-stroke XU-series engine. It was produced in a new engine plant at Trémery built specifically for this purpose, and was later introduced in a larger 1.9-litre version and saw long service in a variety of Peugeots and Citroëns. The XUD diesel engine version was launched in November 1983. The diesel and turbo diesel models were to become the most successful variants, they were especially popular as estates and became the best selling diesel car in Britain in the late 1980s. The petrol engines were badged as 11, 14, 16, 19 — signifying engine size (with the exception of the 17 diesel model, which was actually a 1769 cc, 1.8-liter unit). In some countries, a weaker, 80 hp-metric DIN version of the 1.6 L engine was badged as the BX15 instead of BX16. The 11TE model was seen by foreign motoring press as slow and uncomfortable. The 1.1 L engine with engine code H1A was installed in the BX for the Italian, Greek, and Portuguese markets specifically. It was fitted from 1988 to 1993 and produces 55 hp-metric DIN at 5800 rpm.

A year after the launch of the hatchback model, an estate version ("Break", "Evasion") was made available. The Breaks were all built by Heuliez at their recently updated plant in Cerizay. In 1984 power steering became optional, welcome particularly in the diesel models. In the late 1980s, a four-wheel drive system and turbodiesel engines were introduced.

The majority of BX built received a five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic by ZF was introduced as an option on the 16 RS and TRS in July 1984, and added to the 19 TRD in February 1986. In July 1988, the automatic became an available option on the 19 GTI and the TRi/TZi Break (the precise models vary in some markets).

Phase II (1986)
In 1986 the Phase II BX was launched. The interior and dashboard was redesigned to be more conventional-looking than the original, which used Citroën's idiosyncratic "satellite" switchgear, and "bathroom scale" speedometer. These were replaced with more conventional stalks for light and wipers and analogue instruments. The earlier GT (and Sport) models already had a "normal" speedometer and tachometer. The exterior was also slightly updated, with new more rounded bumpers, flared wheelarches to accept wider tyres, new and improved mirrors and the front indicators replaced with larger clear ones which fitted flush with the headlights. The elderly Douvrin engine was replaced by the newer TU-series engine on the 1.4 litre models, although it continued to be installed in the tiny BX11 until 1992.

1988 saw the launch of the BX Turbo Diesel, which was praised by the motoring press. The BX diesel was already a strong seller, but the Turbo model brought new levels of refinement and performance to the diesel market, which brought an end to the common notion that diesel cars were slow and noisy. Diesel Car magazine said of the BX "We can think of no other car currently on sale in the UK that comes anywhere near approaching the BX Turbo's combination of performance, accommodation and economy".

Phase II facelift (1989)
In 1989, the BX range had further minor revisions and specification improvements made to it, including smoked rear lamp units, new wheel trims and interior fabrics.

Winning many Towcar of the Year awards, the BX was renowned as a tow car (as was its larger sister, the CX), especially the diesel models, due to their power and economy combined with the self levelling suspension.

The biggest problem of the BX was its variable build quality, compared to its competition. In 1983, one quarter of the production needed "touchups" before they could be shipped. Later models were better built, but the reputation had been tarnished. It had been partially replaced by the smaller ZX in early 1991, but its key replacement was the slightly larger Xantia that went on sale at the beginning of 1993, when the BX hatchback was discontinued, although the estate models lasted into the following year, when the estate version of the Xantia was launched.

Sport
As well as the normal BX, Citroën produced the BX Sport from 1985 to 1987. During this period, Citroën produced 7,500 BX Sports; 2,500 in the first series, then an extra 5,000 due to its sales success. Rated at 126 PS at 5800 rpm and equipped with dual twin-barrel carburettors, the BX Sport was the most powerful BX in production at that time. The engine modifications, including a reshaped combustion chamber and larger valves, were developed by famous French tuner Danielson. It also stood out with its unique body kit, alloy wheels later also used on the GTi, a unique dashboard and Pullman interior. The seat fabric was the same as that used on the CX Turbo at the time. The body kit included a rear wing, side skirts, and fender extensions that added 10 cm to each side of the car in order to accommodate the larger wheels. The car was only available in LHD and was not sold in the United Kingdom. Period road tests complimented the ride quality (as usual with Citroëns) but complained that the driving characteristics were not all that sporty as a result, even though the suspension had also been modified.

GT
The BX GT was launched in 1985 and featured a 1.9 L Peugeot-sourced engine, in general a Sport engine with only one twin choke carburettor. Max power is 105 PS. That same year, Citroën produced a "Digit" model, which was based on the BX GT. It featured a digital instrument cluster and an onboard computer. Citroën only produced 4,000 BX Digits in 1985.

4TC
Citroën entered Group B rallying with the BX in 1986. The specially designed rally BX was called the BX 4TC and bore little resemblance to the standard BX. It had a very long nose because the engine (a turbocharger fitted version of Chrysler Europe's Simca Type 180 engine) was mounted longitudinally, unlike in the regular BX. The engine was downsized to 2,141.5 cc (from 2,155 cc) to stay under the three-litre limit after FIA's multiplication factor of 1.4 was applied. The rally version of the BX also featured the unique hydropneumatic suspension, and the five-speed manual gearbox from the Citroën SM. The rear axle was from the rear-wheel drive Peugeot 505, with a carbon fibre prop shaft. Because of the Group B regulations, 200 street versions of the 4TC also had to be built, with a 200 PS at 5,250 rpm version of the N9TE engine.

The 4TC was not successful in World Rally Championship competition, its best result being a sixth place in the 1986 Swedish Rally. The 4TC only participated in three rallies before the Group B class was banned in late 1986, following the death of Henri Toivonen in his Lancia Delta S4 at the Tour de Corse Rally. Aside from being overweight and with bad weight distribution, the BX 4TC also suffered from restricted suspension travel compared to the competition and did not feature a central differential, meaning that the front and rear axle were usually struggling against each other - limiting the cars effectiveness on tarmac in particular.

Already discouraged by the car's poor performance in motorsport and the demise of Group B, Citroën was only able to sell 62 roadgoing 4TCs; build quality and reliability problems led Citroën to buy back many of these 4TCs for salvage and destruction. With only a fraction of the original 200 examples remaining, the 4TC is now highly sought after. While a few privateers continued to campaign the BX 4TC Evolution in the French rallycross championships, Citroën pressured them to stop and by 1989 the competition history of the BX 4TC came to a final end.

GTi
An uprated version of the BX GT, the BX19 GTi was fitted with a 1.9 L eight-valve fuel injected engine producing 122 PS (this engine also fitted to the Peugeot 405 SRi, and being very similar to the engine also fitted to the 205 GTi, however the BX19 GTi and Peugeot 405 SRi used a different inlet manifold and cylinder head to the Peugeot 205 GTi), a spoiler and firmer suspension spheres/anti-roll bar than the standard model; it could reach 198 km/h. There was also a special export model, the BX16 GTi, using the 113 PS XU5JA engine from the Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6. Top speed is 194 km/h.

16V
In May 1987, a 16-valve version of the GTi was launched. This was the first mass-produced French car to be fitted with a 16-valve engine. A DOHC twin-exhaust port cylinder head, based on that of the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Group B rally car was bolted to an uprated version of the 1905 cc XU9 8v alloy engine block as fitted to the BX GTi and Peugeot 205 GTi. The result was the XU9J4; a naturally aspirated 1.9 L engine, (also fitted to the phase 1 Peugeot 405 Mi16) producing 158 bhp and 177 Nm of torque. More specifically, it produced a specific output of 84 bhp/litre, which for a fixed cam-timing, naturally aspirated engine was fairly impressive at the time. This helped "rocket" the BX to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds (0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 7.4 seconds) and then 160 km/h in 19.9 seconds before then finally stopping at a top speed of 136 mph. Anti-lock brakes were fitted as standard. Its side skirts made it easily recognizable from all other BX models. In 1990, the facelift of the 16V gave the car a new lease of life. The updated car came with new fibreglass bumpers, anthracite painted wheels, smoked taillight lenses, and a redesigned rear spoiler. These cosmetic changes made the car look even more distinctive from other BXs. There were also a few subtle changes made to the car's performance, the most noticeable being harder suspension and a thicker anti-roll bar, which improved handling.

The BX 16V was found to be faster around a race-track than the "in house" competitor Peugeot 405 Mi16 in a test in the Swedish motoring magazine Teknikens Värld. Also in Sweden, young driver Magnus Gustafsson competed successfully in rally with a group A tuned BX 16V. The engine produced 215 PS and Gustafsson was second in the Swedish International Rally 1993 in the A7 category.

BX Van
A version of the BX with an extended fiberglass roof and no rear seat called the BX Van was produced in Finland. At the time vans had to pay a smaller registration tax than passenger cars so people wanted to be able to register the BX as a van. The regular BX estate couldn't be registered as a van in Finland because Finnish law required vans to have a cargo space at least 130 centimeters high and 2.5m3 in cargo volume, lengthwise measured awkwardly from inner boot lid to the bottom of steering wheel. The higher roof was achieved by cutting off the original steel roof and replacing it with a large box made of fiberglass. The BX Van was quite popular and over 2000 of them were sold.

A different van version was marketed in Ireland. This was directly based upon the shape of the estate but with rear doors and windows removed.

title: Citroën BX


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Sheesh Mahal (Lahore Fort)

The Sheesh Mahal ( "The Palace of Mirrors") is a palace located within the Shah Burj block in northern-western corner of Lahore Fort. It was constructed under the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1631–32, with some additions later under Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The ornate white marble pavilion is inlaid with pietra dura and complex mirror-work of the finest quality. The hall was reserved for personal use by the imperial family and close aides. It is among the 21 monuments that were built by successive Mughal emperors inside Lahore Fort, and forms the "jewel in the Fort’s crown." As part of the larger Lahore Fort Complex, it has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.

Etymology
Sheesh Mahal, in Urdu language, literally means 'Crystal Palace'. However, with its pietra dura decorations and intricate mirror-work inlaid into the white marble walls and ceilings creating gleaming effect, the lavish room has come to be known as 'Palace of Mirrors', and sometimes the 'Hall of Mirrors'. Similar halls are also found in the contemporary palace of the Agra Fort, and show influence on the later additions to Amber Fort.

History
The solid brick foundations of Lahore Fort were laid in 1566 under the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar the Great on the location of an earlier mud-fort. To build the new fort, the Emperor brought experienced artisans after the completion of Fatehpur Sikri. Later, Shah Jahan converted the fort into a pleasure resort and added Diwan-i-Khas, Moti Masjid, Naulakha Pavilion, sleeping chambers, and Sheesh Mahal in to the complex. Sheesh Mahal is located within the Shah Burj (King's Pavilion) block that was actually built by his predecessor Jahangir. The chamber was exclusively used for private council meetings as part of the daily routine of the emperor, whereas the whole block was only accessible to the imperial princes, the vizier, and selected courtiers. The extension work of private quarters by Shah Jahan continued between 1628 and 1634. The distinctive Shah Jahani architecture is reflected in the extensive use of white marble and hierarchical accents of the construction. During the Sikh Empire, Shah Burj became Ranjit Singh's favourite place. He built a harem over the top of Sheesh Mahal. Kangra style frescoes were also added during his reign, and the original entrance to the Sheesh Mahal quadrangle was closed off and the Athdara built in its place. This was also the place where he used to display his prized possession, the Koh-i-Noor.

Design
The Sheesh Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan. It was built in the middle of Jahangir's rule. The façade, consisting of five cusped marble arches supported by coupled columns, opens into the courtyard. The engrailed spandrels and bases are inlaid with precious stones. The pavilion is in the form of a semi-octagon, and consists of apartments roofed with gilded cupolas and intricately decorated with pietra dura and convex glass and mirror mosaic (ayina kari) with thousands of small mirrors. At night they light candles. The decorative features also include stucco tracery (munabat kari) and carved marble screens in geometrical and tendril designs. The roof of the central hall rises up to two storeys. The hall was originally decorated with fresco paintings that were later replaced with glass mosaic in different colours.

Conservation
The additional constructions carried out during the subsequent Sikh and British rules of Punjab on the top of Sheesh Mahal added to the dead load that made the structure vulnerable to collapse. In 1904–05, the plaster from the ceiling of main veranda fell apart, exposing the decay of internal wooden beams and the corroding roof. At this stage, the building was listed by the department of archaeology of British India in 1927 and the repair work was carried out. Similar problems arose in 1960s and were resolved through minor repairs. In 1975, Sheesh Mahal was listed as a protected monument under the Antiquities Act by Pakistan's Department of Archaeology whereas in 1981, as part of the larger Lahore Fort Complex, it became inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was not until 2006 that the problems of the ceiling were comprehensively resolved and the structure was restored.

title: Sheesh Mahal (Lahore Fort)


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Independent Commission Against Corruption (Hong Kong)

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC; ) is the statutory independent anti-corruption body of Hong Kong with the primary objective of combating corruption in both the public and private sectors. Established in 1974 and operating independently from the Hong Kong government and law enforcement agencies, the ICAC is headed by the Commissioner, who reports directly to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. The ICAC has played a crucial role in maintaining Hong Kong's reputation as one of the least corrupt places globally and fostering a culture of integrity within the city.

The ICAC's functions encompass investigation, prevention, and education. It investigates complaints of corruption-related offenses, conducts operations to uncover corrupt practices, and has the authority to arrest, search, and seize property. In addition, the ICAC works on preventing corruption by reviewing and improving systems and procedures in government departments, public bodies, and private organizations, while also offering advice and assistance in implementing effective anti-corruption measures. The ICAC also engages in public education and awareness campaigns to raise ethical standards in the community and encourage the public to report corruption.

The Article 57 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong stipulates that the ICAC shall operate independently and be directly accountable to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. By the Article 48, the Commissioner of the ICAC, being as a principal official of Hong Kong, is nominated by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong and appointed by the State Council of the People's Republic of China.

Background
As Hong Kong recovered after World War II, the population began to swell and manufacturing industries grew. By the 1960s Hong Kong was experiencing economic growth, yet the government kept civil servants' salaries very low. Officials in all departments took advantage of their positions to supplement their wages with demands for "tea money," "lucky money," or substantially larger sums. Examples of corruption ranged from nursing sisters demanding money to provide services such as extra blankets, food or to allow visitors outside normal hours; firemen lived by the saying, "冇錢，冇水" ("No money, no water") and sometimes asked for money to turn off the water, preventing water damage, once a fire had been put out; officials in Lands and Public Works departments secured huge sums of money for "advice" and "signatures" that procured the award of tenders and enabled developments and projects to proceed; the Royal Hong Kong Police organised entire stations to "make money" from hawkers, licences, and in many other illicit schemes. Civil servants often had to pay for promotions and postings in positions known for a lucrative return.

The Hong Kong Police Force previously had an Anti-Corruption Branch, but it did little to reduce corruption in February 1952. Public perception was that Anti-Corruption police, following the discovery of corrupt practices, would then enter into the dealings themselves. One example was Peter Godber, a senior officer stationed at Wan Chai Police Station and later at Kai Tak Airport police station. Before his retirement in 1973, he had amassed at least 4.3 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately 600,000 US dollars) in overseas bank accounts. The police's Anti-Corruption Branch investigated his wealth and ordered him to explain his source of income. In response, Godber immediately arranged for his wife to leave the colony, then used his police airport pass to bypass Immigration and Passport checks and walked onto a plane for London. Godber's escape led to a large public outcry over the integrity and quality of the police's self-investigation and called for reforms in the government's anti-corruption efforts. Godber was later extradited back to Hong Kong to face trial and was convicted.

Singapore's approach in fighting corruption by relying on an Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) via Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) was adopted by Hong Kong on 15 February 1974 after a study team of Hong Kong civil servants visited Singapore and Sri Lanka in 1968 to study their anti corruption laws.

The newly formed Independent Commission Against Corruption would be answerable to only the Governor of Hong Kong, unlike the old police Anti-Corruption Branch. Most ICAC operations staff were sergeants recruited from specifically British police forces and were certainly not beyond sharp practices themselves. Their tactics and methods were often aggressive—they would go to a police station and take an entire shift in for questioning as a "fishing exercise." Ultimately their shock tactics were effective.

Development

In the early days there were running punch-ups between ICAC officers and angry policemen who stormed their offices in Central District; this situation ended only with the announcement of a partial amnesty for minor corruptions committed before 1977. But gradually, the ICAC made itself felt and several high-profile police officers were tried and convicted. Others were forced to retire. As a result of its investigations, a mass purge took place in early 1978, where it was announced that 119 officers including one customs official were asked to leave under the provisions of Colonial Regulation 55 (see footnote 1 below) to fast track the decisions in the public interest; a further 24 officers were held on conspiracy charges, and 36 officers and a customs official were given amnesties. The move received a mixed response from the public whilst being broadly supported by legislative councillors as being in the best interests of Hong Kong not to let the affair fester and further demoralise the police Force. Urban Council member Elsie Elliot criticised the government for being lenient to senior corrupt officials, punishing only "small flies."

Gradually, Hong Kong transformed from a graft-ridden city into one of the least corrupt places in the world, as recognised by international institutions such as the World Bank, The Heritage Foundation and Transparency International. Some countries have looked to the ICAC as an effective model of combating graft holistically through detection, prevention, and education.

In the 1970s, eight out of 10 graft complaints were against public officers. This trend has reversed over the years. Complaints against police officers reduced by 70 percent—from 1,443 in 1974 to 446 in 2007. Nowadays, only three out of 10 complaints relate to public servants. Private sector cases meanwhile have been on the rise in recent years. The ICAC has stepped up efforts to help enterprises minimise corruption risks through system controls and staff training. (The statistics are provided by the ICAC.)

In the late 1980s, the Acting Crown Prosecutor, Charles Warwick Reid, was arrested for taking bribes to throw trials. He was subsequently convicted. He did not take up his post as Director of New Zealand's new Serious Fraud Office. His eight-year sentence was reduced to six years when he turned informer. He spent his time in witness protection, the first three years in solitary confinement, and on his release was returned to his native New Zealand. Within a couple of days he had made a false affidavit for a Chinese businessman standing trial in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong authorities wanted him extradited, but he was instead tried in New Zealand and sentenced to two years. He, his wife and his solicitor became the defendants in a landmark Privy Council case on tracing bribe money in 1993, when the Attorney-General of Hong Kong sought to obtain unpaid fines of $12,000,000 by claims on land Reid bought in the New Zealand seaside town of Tauranga.

In 2008, corruption reports received by the ICAC dropped six per cent to 3,377, of which 65 per cent were related to the private sector, 28 per cent concerned government departments, and the remaining seven per cent were against public bodies.

Research on corruption—carried out by the Anti Corruption Resource Centre—shows that police corruption in Hong Kong was frequently associated with "illegal markets" or "victimless crimes" such as gambling, prostitution and drugs. Thus, the decision to legalise off-course betting in Hong Kong—a previously rich source of police bribes—may plausibly have contributed to the fall in police corruption. The investigative, preventive, and educational activities of the ICAC no doubt also had some impact but were not solely or even largely responsible for reducing police corruption.

Controversies
After the big purges of the 1970s, many thought that the ICAC would take a reduced role in society, but despite the fact that their main job was done their influence remained pervasive. Short of voluminous numbers of dramatic cases many ICAC officers left Hong Kong, others remained to enjoy a less taxing life. However, in 1993 their deputy director of Operations Alex Tsui Ka-kit was suddenly sacked by Governor Chris Patten, who stated that he had "lost confidence" in Tsui—a euphemism that strong evidence of corruption or significant wrongdoing existed. The "Alex Tsui Affair" caused a huge stir in the mid-1990s as Tsui did not go quietly. Indeed, he made counter-allegations of misconduct within the ICAC, one of which was that Director of Operations Jim Buckle had "squashed" an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by an officer called Michael Croft (who was later transferred and forced out of the service). Alex Tsui's continued rantings in the media and Legislative Council did little for the image of ICAC.

A year later at Christmas 1995, an ICAC assistant director—a well-known carouser—was arrested for drinking and driving. Following conviction he mysteriously avoided strong punishment and received only a "reprimand" from the Commissioner of the ICAC.

On 31 October 2006, Fanny Law was appointed Commissioner of the ICAC. The unpopular Permanent Secretary for Education and Manpower was seen as being weak on security-related issues. In addition, as Law's and former Commissioner Raymond Wong's appointments were a direct swap, the government was derided by the Civic Party and Liberal Party for belittling an important position by playing "musical chairs." Law was not perceived to be at the end of her civil service career, while the post of Commissioner was traditionally a 'final' posting, allowing the official to work without fear or favour.

Expenses scandal
In 2013, Timothy Tong was found to have overspent on entertaining and gifts for mainland and other overseas officials during his 5-year tenure as Commissioner. An independent committee found that he had authorised entertaining expenses at banquets that exceeded internal guidelines. There was an example of an airline upgrade for two officers to business class costing HK186,000 that had no record of approval, and one gift costing HK$4,140 ($530) that had been reportedly offered to a senior mainland official. Tong was criticised by a Legislative Council committee for his 35 work trips which cost taxpayers almost HK$4 million ($513,000) and gifts to both mainland and overseas officials costing HK$282,000 ($36,100). The LegCo committee expressed its concern as to "whether Mr Tong had thoroughly considered that unduly close contacts between him and mainland officials in Hong Kong during his tenure might have shaken public confidence in the impartiality of the ICAC." Tong had recently been appointed delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference when the scandal broke. Chief Secretary Carrie Lam admitted that the controversy surrounding the over-expenditures "inevitably undermined the ICAC's image and Hong Kong's reputation as a corruption-free society."

Concerns over independence
Several high-level appointments since the transfer of sovereignty have brought the independence of the ICAC into question. Simon Peh, an Immigration Department bureaucrat, was appointed Commissioner in 2012. More importantly, in 2014, Maria Tam, former colonial loyalist who rapidly switched allegiance to Beijing after 1997, was named head of the Operations Review Committee – a key board that has power to question any decision of the ICAC and to drop any case.

Further erosion of independence was feared when Rebecca Li Bo-lan – a 30-year veteran graft-buster and the first female head of the ICAC investigative unit, appointed in June 2015 – was abruptly removed from her job in an unprecedented manner, and no explanation has been forthcoming from the ICAC. Pan-democratic politicians accused chief executive CY Leung of interfering because he is the subject of an anti-graft probe over a HK$50 million payment Leung received from Australian firm UGL. Democratic-camp legislators made allegations, citing internal ICAC sources, that Leung's office had been uncooperative and also impeding the progress of investigations into his own case; the Chief Executive's Office rebutted the claim.

Impact
For the private sector, the establishment of ICAC reorganised the corruption morale of the private sector which they started to alter the importance of integrity. ICAC also offered a channel for people to report on the corruption cases which led to an upsurge in corruption reports. The situation in the banking sector was the most significant and affected many banking officers. It also revealed that the issue of corruption was deeply-rooted in this sector, even in some major banks. The corruption problems were kept in silence and being ignored. Besides, after the report of corruption cases, the management team in the sector started to internalise and execute rules and policies in combating the corruption which turned the prevention into internal issues. This led to a decrease in reporting corruption cases afterwards.

Constitutionality
In preparation for transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty in 1997, the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China enacted the Hong Kong Basic Law in 1990, providing for the establishment of a "Commission Against Corruption." This anti-graft agency thus exists as a constitutionally sanctioned body.

As a passing remark the name of the agency ("Independent Commission Against Corruption") has been questioned as unconstitutional, as the Basic Law names it "Commission Against Corruption." However, as the Chinese version of the Basic Law prevails over the English version, this is not considered a misnomer. Another interpretation is that the Basic Law states only that such a commission has to be established without directing how it should be named.

Covert surveillance
In 2005, the evidence collected by the ICAC through covert surveillance in a case involving a publicly listed company was questioned. While the judge ruled that covert surveillance carried out in this case was unconstitutional due to the absence of relevant legal procedures, the judge admitted the evidence as he found that the ICAC had conducted the operations in good faith. The defendants were convicted.

To address the lack of legal procedures that govern covert surveillance by law enforcement agencies, as required by the Basic Law, the Legislative Council passed the Interception of Communication and Surveillance Ordinance (ICSO) in August 2006 to provide for such procedures. All covert surveillance operations of the ICAC are now carried out strictly in accordance with the ICSO, which applies to all law enforcement agencies in Hong Kong.

An assistant ICAC investigator was jailed for nine months on 4 April 2003 for lying in a court trial, to conceal the fact that he had threatened a suspect to co-operate with a probe by ICAC. So far, this is the only case of such a nature in ICAC history.

Organisation
The independence of the organisation is assured by its three pillars – Head of Operations, the Commissioner and Operations Review Committee (ORC). The Operations Department is accountable not to the Commissioner, but the ORC comprising largely members of the public appointed by the Chief Executive.

Commissioner
The Commissioner is the public face of the ICAC, and is mainly responsible for policy, public image and international relations. Although generally considered the top official in the organisation, the Commissioner generally has little knowledge of specific investigations until their final stages, adhering to the ICAC's "need-to- know" principle, which has acted as a de facto separation of functions since it was founded in the 1970s.

The current Commissioner, the 15th, is Simon Peh. He was appointed in 2012 and is the body's longest-serving head to date.

Divisions
The ICAC has three divisions: Operations, Community Relations, and Corruption Prevention. The Operations Department is the largest by far, having 72 percent of the staff, and is responsible for all the high-profile busts. The person in charge of the Operations Department is appointed by the Chief Executive and not by the ICAC Commissioner. By custom and practice, the Head of Operations is usually bestowed the title of Deputy Commissioner. Currently headed by Ricky Yau Shu-chun, this department considers itself all powerful, and has apparently resisted all attempts to interfere with its investigations. The investigation into circulation fraud by Sally Aw at The Standard has been cited as an example of the embarrassment caused by such non-co-operation with the government hierarchy.

Witness Protection and Firearms Section
ICAC maintains a small specialised unit, namely the Witness Protection and Firearms Section (R4), which carry out high risk operations (such as pursuits and conducting house raids), forced entry, witness protection, and training of new recruits in basic firearms skills since 1998.

To be the member of R4, investigators have to undergo a battery of physical, written, and psychometric tests, and receive a three-phase training if they are selected, which involves multiple tactics in witness protection, firearms and more.

Up to now, no shots were fired by R4 during missions and the unit remains a good reputation.

Colonial Regulation 55
Colonial Regulation 55 was an executive provision of the highest order for which the colonial Government was not obliged to give cause. It stipulated that "An officer holds office subject to the pleasure of the Crown, and the pleasure of the Crown that he may no longer hold it may be signified through the Secretary of State, in which case no special formalities are required."

As a safeguard for this regulation, action must be taken by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in London after review by the Secretary of the Civil Service and the Attorney General for England and Wales. The highest authority would have been the Lord Chancellor.

This regulation was invoked approximately 25 times by the colonial Government up to 1978, twice of which was during the tenure of Governor MacLehose.

Henry Litton, Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, questioned the use of Regulation 55, when Regulations 56 and 57 (which provide for "dismissal after due enquiry" before a judge) could have been used. He furthermore said "As far as I know, Colonial Regulations apply to only sovereign gazetted officers," and that "no Chinese policeman has ever been given a copy...before signing on." Most Legislators supported the move as being under "exceptional circumstances" and "necessary."

The Colonial Regulation was replaced by the Public Service Order after Hong Kong's transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997.

Information technology
ICAC commissioner Dr Timothy Tong Hin-ming mentioned in a report tabled in the Legislative Council the strategic importance of information technology (IT) in operations as corruption cases have become increasingly complex. The commission has stepped up staff training in financial investigation and computer forensics skills, and enhanced investigative resources especially in regard to corruption in the private sector.

In 2008, the commission organised a series of seminars to enhance the investigators' knowledge on the global and local financial system and its regulatory mechanism.

ICAC's financial investigation section probed into 7,095 financial transactions in 168 cases, involving an aggregated sum of HK$4.4 billion (US$567 million) in 2008. The commission's computer forensics section carried out 502 computer data analysis projects relating to 111 operations in which 368 computers were seized.

Weapons
Though the Operations Department members of ICAC are trained to use firearms, most of them are not armed. However, officers are required to go to the range for their continuous training and annual examination.

There are also investigators, namely the Arms Issued Officers (AIOs) of the Witness Protection and Firearms Section (R4), who are solely the members who have the permit to use firearms. They are now mostly trained in the use of, and issued, Glock 19 handguns as sidearms, though standard Glock 17 or the SIG P228 are also equipped, depend on the situation.

The members of the Witness Protection and Firearms Section also carry an ASP expandable baton and a small pepper spray for less-lethal options for protection on the field.

Strategy
The ICAC uses a three-pronged approach to combating corruption: investigation, prevention, and community education. The most high profile of aspect of its work has been its investigative work, however as important if not more so has been its work in prevention and education. Prevention wise the ICAC offers advice and practical help to enable companies and organisations to introduce systems and procedures that are resistant to corruption. Since its inception the ICAC has worked tirelessly to change the public's perception that bribes and kickbacks are an expected and normal part of everyday life, and to reassure citizens that if they face a demand for an illegal payment that the ICAC will be there to investigate.

In popular culture
There have been several movies about the ICAC; The First Shot in 1993 and I Corrupt All Cops in 2009 that tell the history of the ICAC from the inception to how it adopted its interrogation methods. A number of television series have also been made about the commission with the ICAC Investigators family of miniseries being based on actual ICAC cases and made with the full co-operation of the ICAC as part of its community education work.


text:
Roma Mitchell

Dame Roma Flinders Mitchell, (2 October 1913 – 5 March 2000) was an Australian lawyer, judge and state governor. She was the first woman to hold a number of positions in Australia – the country's first woman judge, the first woman to be a Queen's Counsel, a chancellor of an Australian university and the Governor of an Australian state.

Mitchell was considered to be a pioneer of the Australian women's rights movement. Her grandfather, Samuel James Mitchell, was the first Chief Justice of the Northern Territory.

Early life and education
Roma Mitchell was born in Adelaide, South Australia, on 2 October 1913, the second daughter and youngest child of Harold and Maude Mitchell (née Wickham). She was an alumna of St Aloysius Convent College, Adelaide and the University of Adelaide.

Career
Mitchell was admitted as a barrister in 1935. In 1962, she was appointed a Queen's Counsel. As well as a practicing barrister, Mitchell was a lecturer in family law at the University of Adelaide and Margaret Nyland was one of her students, with Mitchell becoming a mentor to Nyland. Mitchell was made the first female Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia in 1965, at the recommendation of Don Dunstan, South Australia's 38th Attorney-General. She was still the only female judge in South Australia when she retired 18 years later in 1983, although Justices Elizabeth Evatt and Mary Gaudron had been appointed to federal courts by the Whitlam government. It was not until 1993 that the second woman was appointed to the court, Mitchell's former student Margaret Nyland.

Mitchell was Governor of South Australia from 1991 to 1996, Chancellor of the University of Adelaide from 1983 to 1990 and was a member of the Council for the Order of Australia from 1981 to 1990.

Honours
Mitchell was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) on 12 June 1971. She was raised to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) on 12 June 1982.

On 26 January 1991, Mitchell was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), Australia's highest civilian honour, for services to the law, to learning, and to the community. She was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) on 1 January 2000. Mitchell was to receive her honour directly from The Queen of Australia, however, as her health deteriorated, the Governor-General, Sir William Deane, flew to Adelaide and attended her bedside to bestow the honour in a private investiture.

Roma Mitchell Secondary College in northern Adelaide was named for Dame Roma, as was Roma Mitchell House, on North Terrace, Adelaide. One of the Bay class patrol boats operated by the Australian Customs is named ACV Dame Roma Mitchell. A statue of Dame Roma, in Prince Henry Gardens, directly outside Government House, Adelaide, was erected in 1999.

title: Roma Mitchell


text:
Stella One Eleven

Stella One Eleven were an Australian pop, rock band, which formed in September 1997. They released three studio albums, Mr Big Car (1999), In Your Hands (2000) and Stella One Eleven (October 2003). Three of the band's singles, "Go Slow Girl" (July 2001), "Out There Somewhere"/"S.S.D." (October 2003) and "She" (March 2004), reached the top 40 on the ARIA Singles Chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2001 they were nominated for Best Independent Release and Best Adult Contemporary Album for In Your Hands. At the previous year's ceremony their single, "Only Good for Conversation" (September 1999), was nominated for Best Independent Release. The group had disbanded by October 2005 with the members undertaking solo projects.

1997–2002: Formation, Mr Big Car and In Your Hands
Stella One Eleven were formed in September 1997 in Sydney when singer-songwriter Cindy Ryan went into a studio to record her debut solo album. While working with her session musicians, Ryan decided to form a pop rock band with them instead. Stella One Eleven's debut single, "Hard", appeared in 1998 and was followed by their first album, Mr Big Car, in 1999 on Candle Records.

The group's line-up was Bowden Campbell (ex-Front End Loader) on guitar, Pat Hayes (ex-Falling Joys) on bass guitar and backing vocals, Genevieve Maynard (ex-Bughouse) on guitar and backing vocals, Ryan on lead vocals and guitar, and Raphael Wittingham (ex-Clouds, Golden Rough) on drums. Most of the album's tracks were co-produced by Maynard with Tim Powles (of the Church); two tracks were produced solely by Maynard.

Additional singles issued from the album are "Mr Big Car" (June 1999), "Only Good for Conversation" (September) and "She Lies" (December). At the ARIA Music Awards of 2000, "Only Good for Conversation", was nominated for Best Independent Release.

Stella One Eleven released their second album, In Your Hands, on Wow Records in late 2000. The line-up was Hayes, Maynard and Ryan with Brian Cachia on drums and Sam Carter (ex-Dogbouy) on guitar. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2001 In Your Hands was nominated for Best Independent Release and Best Adult Contemporary Album.

It generated a top 40 single, "Go Slow Girl" (July 2001), on the ARIA Singles Chart, which was placed on high rotation by national youth radio station, Triple J. The album reached No. 13 on Alternative Albums Chart. The band wrote the theme song for National Youth Week in Australia and were appointed official Youth Week ambassadors for 2000. In October 2001 the group were guest programmers on rage.

2003–2005: Self-titled album to disbandment
After a hiatus of two years the group reconvened to release their third studio album, Stella One Eleven, on 6 October 2003. Ryan had collaborated with outside writers including Mark Seymour (of Hunters and Collectors) on "Cold" and Paul Andrews of Lazy Susan on "Paleface" and "Beautiful Boys". It reached number 12 on the ARIA Australasian Artists Albums chart. Lucinda Gardiner of Oz Music Project described it as "an unashamedly pop album that deserves more recognition then it will probably get... Ryan's lyrics are sweeter and more optimistic here than in previous recordings. There is none of the outward vitriol on [it] that is on their other albums."

They issued two singles – "Out There Somewhere"/"S.S.D. (Sweet Sweet Darling)" in October 2003 and "She" (March 2004) – the latter was produced by Paul Mac. Both singles reached the ARIA Singles Chart top 40.

By October 2005 Stella One Eleven had disbanded with both Ryan and Campbell releasing solo albums: Ryan's Love Hate Tattoo and Campbell's Crooked Mile.

Members

 * Cindy Ryan – lead vocals and guitar
 * Genevieve Maynard – guitar and backing vocals
 * Pat Hayes – bass guitar and backing vocals
 * Sam Carter – guitar
 * Brian Cachia – drums
 * Raphael Wittingham – drums (Mr Big Car)
 * Bowden Campbell – guitar (Mr Big Car)
 * Bernie Hayes – lead vocals
 * Mary-Anne Cornford
 * Stuart Robertson

ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.

 * 2000
 * "Only Good for Conversation"
 * Best Independent Release
 * Nominated
 * rowspan="2"| 2001
 * rowspan="2"|In Your Hands
 * Best Adult Contemporary Album
 * Nominated
 * Best Independent Release
 * Nominated
 * }
 * Best Independent Release
 * Nominated
 * }

title: Stella One Eleven


text:
Proclamation Day

Proclamation Day commonly refers to the anniversary of the proclamation of government of the province of South Australia, which continues to be celebrated in South Australia on 28 December, although no longer a public holiday. The anniversary of the establishment of self-government on 21 October 1890 was formerly known as Proclamation Day in Western Australia.

Background
Proclamation Day in South Australia celebrates the establishment of government in the colony of South Australia as a British province. The province itself was officially created and proclaimed in 1834 when the British Parliament passed the South Australia Act 1834, which empowered King William IV to create South Australia as a British province and to provide for its colonisation and government. It was ratified 19 February 1836 when King William issued Letters Patent establishing the province. The proclamation announcing the establishment of Government was made by Captain John Hindmarsh beside The Old Gum Tree at the present-day suburb of Glenelg North on 28 December 1836. The proclamation specified the same protection under the law for the local native population as for the settlers.

The proclamation was drafted aboard HMS Buffalo (1813) by Hindmarsh's private secretary, George Stevenson, and printed by Robert Thomas (1782–1860), who came from England with his family on Africaine, arriving at Holdfast Bay on 8 November 1836. Thomas brought with him the first printing press to reach South Australia. The press was a Stanhope Invenit No. 200, and was on display in the State Library until 2001.

It was signed by the Colonial Secretary, Robert Gouger, who had also travelled on the Africaine.

The colonising fleet prior to Buffalo consisted of eight vessels which had first arrived at Nepean Bay on Kangaroo Island before being directed to Holdfast Bay on the mainland. The first vessel to arrive at Nepean Bay was Duke of York on 27 July 1836 which did not proceed to Holdfast Bay but instead set off on a whaling expedition. Africaine was the seventh to arrive at Nepean Bay (4 Nov 1836), discharging settlers at Holdfast Bay on 9 November 1836. Seven of these earlier ships preceded Governor John Hindmarsh on Buffalo to enable preparations in advance of his formal arrival on 28 December. Thomas's wife Mary (1787–1875) published The Diary of Mary Thomas, in which she described the journey on Africaine and the early years in South Australia. An extract from the diary reads: "About December 20th 1836, we built a rush hut a short distance from our tents for the better accommodation of part of our family... and in this place (about 12 feet square) the first printing in South Australia was produced".

Text of the Proclamation
By His Excellency John Hindmarsh, Knight of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty’s Province of South Australia.

In announcing to the Colonists of His Majesty’s Province of South Australia, the establishment of the Government, I hereby call upon them to conduct themselves on all occasions with order and quietness, duly to respect the laws, and by a course of industry and sobriety, by the practice of sound morality and a strict observance of the Ordinances of Religion, to prove themselves worthy to be the Founders of a great and free Colony.

It is also, at this time especially, my duty to apprize the Colonists of my resolution, to take every lawful means for extending the same protection to the Native Population as to the rest of His Majesty’s Subjects and of my firm determination to punish with exemplary severity, all acts of violence or injustice which may in any manner be practiced or attempted against the Natives who are to be considered as much under the Safeguard of the law as the Colonists themselves, and equally entitled to the privileges of British Subjects. I trust therefore, with confidence to the exercise of moderation and forbearance by all Classes, in their intercourse with the Native Inhabitants, and that they will omit no opportunity of assisting me to fulfil His Majesty’s most gracious and benevolent intentions toward them, by promoting their advancement in civilization, and ultimately, under the blessing of Divine Providence, their conversion to the Christian Faith.

By His Excellency’s Command, Robert Gouger, Colonial Secretary. Glenelg, 28th December 1836.

God Save the King.

Status as a holiday
In 1876 Parliament decreed that the Proclamation Day holiday, a gala occasion when thousands descended on Glenelg, would henceforth be celebrated on 27 December in lieu of the 28th, in order to make a three-day Christmas holiday. Henry J. Moseley, proprietor of the Glenelg's Pier Hotel, was the first and loudest protester against the move, which was rescinded.

The Proclamation Day public holiday is prescribed in the South Australian Holidays Act, 1910. Originally the Act provided that the day was to be observed on 28 December, except when that day occurred on a Saturday or Sunday, at which times it was to be celebrated on the following Monday. On 4 November 1993, the Holidays Act 1910 was amended by the Holidays (Proclamation Day, Australia Day and Bank Holidays) Amendment Act 1993, changing the date for observance of the day to the day following the Christmas Day holiday, to coincide with Boxing Day as celebrated in other states. The change was made primarily as a response to the recommendations of the South Australian Industrial Relations Advisory Council, which had advised that the holiday should be changed to avoid stop/start work patterns, particularly in the retail industry. The change was also said to be consistent with national uniformity arrangements in relation to certain public holidays.

Formal ceremonies involving the most senior current officials and politicians, followed by public celebrations, continue to be held at the still-extant Old Gum Tree at Glenelg North on 28 December, or one day earlier on 27 December in some years. However, a small 2015 poll indicated that many South Australians did not know why Proclamation Day was commemorated, and it was not included in the school curriculum.

Western Australia
Proclamation Day also refers to 21 October 1890, the day that Western Australia achieved self-government, with its own constitution and self-elected parliament. Proclamation Day was originally a public holiday, but its significance was overshadowed by the celebrations of the Eight Hours Day, which were held on the same day, and by 1919 the public holiday had been replaced by Labour Day.

Western Australia Day is celebrated on the first Monday in June each year to commemorate the founding of the Swan River Colony in 1829.

title: Proclamation Day


text:
David Williamson

David Keith Williamson (born 24 February 1942) is an Australian playwright. He has also written screenplays and teleplays.

Early life
David Williamson was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on 24 February 1942, and was brought up in Bairnsdale. He initially studied mechanical engineering at the University of Melbourne from 1960, but left and graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1965. His early forays into the theatre were as an actor and writer of skits for the Engineers' Revue at Melbourne University's Union Theatre at lunchtime during the early 1960s, and as a satirical sketch writer for Monash University student reviews and the Emerald Hill Theatre Company.

After a brief stint as design engineer for GM Holden, Williamson became a lecturer in mechanical engineering and thermodynamics at Swinburne University of Technology (then Swinburne Technical College) in 1966 while studying social psychology as a postgraduate part-time at the University of Melbourne. He completed a Master of Arts in Psychology in 1970, and then completed further postgraduate research in social psychology. Williamson later lectured in social psychology at Swinburne, where he remained until 1972.

Career
Williamson first turned to writing and performing in plays in 1967 with La Mama Theatre Company and the Pram Factory, and rose to prominence in the early 1970s, with works such as Don's Party (later turned into a 1976 film), a comic drama set during the 1969 federal election; and The Removalists (1971). He also collaborated on the screenplays for Gallipoli (1981) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). Williamson's work as a playwright focuses on themes of politics, loyalty and family in contemporary urban Australia, particularly in two of its major cities, Melbourne and Sydney.

Major stage works include The Club, The Department, Travelling North, The Perfectionist, Emerald City, Money and Friends and Brilliant Lies.

Recent work has included Dead White Males, a satirical approach to postmodernism and university ethics; Up for Grabs, which starred Madonna in its London premiere; and the Jack Manning Trilogy (Face To Face, Conversation, Charitable Intent) which take as their format community conferencing, a new form of restorative justice, in which Williamson became interested in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In recent years he has alternated work between larger stages (including Soul Mates, Amigos and Influence – all premiered with the Sydney Theatre Company) and smaller ones (including the Manning trilogy, Flatfoot and Operator, which premiered at the Ensemble Theatre).

In 2005, he announced his retirement from main-stage productions, although he has continued to write new plays for the mainstage, many produced with the Ensemble Theatre. He had a serious health problem, cardiac arrhythmia, which had required frequent hospitalisation. An operation resolved this issue, but then in 2009 he had a mild stroke, from which he recovered fully.

Williamson was instrumental in the founding of the Noosa Long Weekend Festival, a cultural festival in Noosa, Queensland, where he lives.

In August 2006 Cate Molloy, former Australian Labor Party member of the Queensland Parliament for Noosa, announced that Williamson would be her campaign manager as she sought to recontest her seat as an Independent.

In 2007, Lotte's Gift, a one-woman show starring Karin Schaupp, which traced a journey through Schaupp's own life as well as those of her mother and grandmother (the Lotte of the title), was produced.

In 2021, his memoir, Home Truths, was published by HarperCollins. Reviewing the book for The Sydney Morning Herald, Peter Craven wrote "He comes across as a likeable, flawed fellow with no more blindness than people of lesser talent".

Personal life
Williamson is married to Kristin Williamson (sister of independent filmmaker Chris Löfvén) who have homes in Sydney and on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. They have five adult children and 11 grandchildren.

His son, Rory Williamson, and his stepson, Felix Williamson, are both actors. Rory starred as Stork in the 2001 revival of The Coming of Stork at the Stables Theatre in Sydney, produced by Felix's company, the Bare Naked Theatre Company.

Honours and awards

 * 1971 – British George Devine Award
 * 1972 – Australian Writers Guild Awgie Award for best stage play and best script with The Removalists
 * 1983 – appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia
 * 1988 – Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Sydney
 * 1990 – Honorary Doctor of Letters, Monash University
 * 1995 – Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Drama Award for Sanctuary
 * 1996 – chosen to deliver the inaugural Andrew Olle Media Lecture
 * 1996 – Honorary Doctor of Letters, Swinburne University of Technology
 * 2004 – Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Queensland
 * 2012 – Nominated Senior Australian of the Year

Australian Film Institute Awards

 * 1977 – AFI Award, Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted, Don's Party
 * 1981 – AFI Award, Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted, Gallipoli
 * 1987 – AFI Award, Best Screenplay, Adapted, Travelling North
 * 2009 – AFI Award, Best Screenplay, Adapted, Balibo (shared with director Robert Connolly)

Helpmann Awards
The Helpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. In 2005, Williamson received the JC Williamson Award, the LPA's highest honour, for their life's work in live performance.

 * 2005 || Himself || JC Williamson Award || awarded
 * 2005 || Himself || JC Williamson Award || awarded

Plays

 * The Indecent Exposure of Anthony East (1968)
 * You've Got to Get on Jack (1970)
 * The Coming of Stork (1970)
 * The Removalists (1971)
 * Don's Party (1971)
 * Jugglers Three (1972)
 * What If You Died Tomorrow? (1973)
 * The Department (1975)
 * A Handful of Friends (1976)
 * The Club (1977)
 * Travelling North (1979)
 * Celluloid Heroes (1980)
 * The Perfectionist (1982)
 * The Night We Blitzed The Bridge (1984)
 * Sons of Cain (1985)
 * Emerald City (1987)
 * Top Silk (1989)
 * Siren (1990)
 * Money and Friends (1991)
 * Brilliant Lies (1993)
 * Sanctuary (1994)
 * Dead White Males (1995)
 * Heretic (1996)
 * Third World Blues (1997, adaptation of Jugglers Three)
 * After The Ball (1997)
 * Corporate Vibes (1999)
 * Face to Face (2000)
 * The Great Man (2000)
 * Up for Grabs (2001)
 * A Conversation (2001)
 * Charitable Intent (2001)
 * Soulmates (2002)
 * Flatfoot (2003)
 * Birthrights (2003)
 * Amigos (2004)
 * Operator (2005)
 * Influence (2005)
 * Lotte's Gift (2007) – also known as Strings Under My Fingers
 * Scarlett O'Hara at the Crimson Parrot (2008)
 * Let the Sunshine (2009)
 * Don Parties On (2011)
 * At Any Cost? (2011)
 * Nothing Personal (2011)
 * When Dad Married Fury (2011)
 * Managing Carmen (2012)
 * Happiness (2013)
 * Rupert (2013)
 * Cruise Control (2014)
 * Dream Home (2015)
 * Jack of Hearts (2016)
 * Credentials (2017)
 * Sorting Out Rachel (2018)
 * Nearer the Gods (2018)
 * The Big Time (2019)
 * Family Values (2020)
 * Crunch Time (2020)

Screenplays

 * Stork (1971) – based on his play
 * Libido (1972) – segment "The Family Man"
 * Petersen (1974)
 * The Removalists (1975) – based on his play
 * Eliza Fraser (1975)
 * Don's Party (1976) – based on his play
 * The Department (1980) (TV movie) – based on his play
 * The Club (1980) – based on his play
 * Gallipoli (1981)
 * Duet for Four (1982)
 * The Year of Living Dangerously (1983)
 * Phar Lap (1983)
 * The Last Bastion (1984) (TV series) – also produced
 * The Perfectionist (1987) (TV movie) – based on his play
 * Emerald City (1987) – based on his play
 * Touch the Sun: Princess Kate (1988) (TV)
 * A Dangerous Life (1988) (TV mini-series)
 * The Four Minute Mile (1988)
 * Sanctuary (1995) – based on his play
 * Brilliant Lies (1996) – based on his play
 * Dog's Head Bay (1999) (TV series) – 13 episodes
 * On the Beach (2000) (TV series)
 * Balibo (2009)
 * Face to Face (2011) – based on his play

title: David Williamson


text:
Retroperitoneal space

The retroperitoneal space (retroperitoneum) is the anatomical space (sometimes a potential space) behind (retro) the peritoneum. It has no specific delineating anatomical structures. Organs are retroperitoneal if they have peritoneum on their anterior side only. Structures that are not suspended by mesentery in the abdominal cavity and that lie between the parietal peritoneum and abdominal wall are classified as retroperitoneal.

This is different from organs that are not retroperitoneal, which have peritoneum on their posterior side and are suspended by mesentery in the abdominal cavity.

The retroperitoneum can be further subdivided into the following:
 * Perirenal (or perinephric) space
 * Anterior pararenal (or paranephric) space
 * Posterior pararenal (or paranephric) space

Retroperitoneal structures
Structures that lie behind the peritoneum are termed "retroperitoneal". Organs that were once suspended within the abdominal cavity by mesentery but migrated posterior to the peritoneum during the course of embryogenesis to become retroperitoneal are considered to be secondarily retroperitoneal organs.
 * Primarily retroperitoneal, meaning the structures were retroperitoneal during the entirety of development:
 * urinary
 * adrenal glands
 * kidneys
 * ureter
 * circulatory
 * aorta
 * inferior vena cava
 * digestive
 * anal canal
 * Secondarily retroperitoneal, meaning the structures initially were suspended in mesentery and later migrated behind the peritoneum during development
 * the duodenum, except for the proximal first segment, which is intraperitoneal
 * ascending and descending portions of the colon (but not the transverse colon, sigmoid and the cecum)
 * pancreas, except for the tail, which is intraperitoneal

Subdivisions
It is also called the perinephric space. Bounded by the anterior and posterior leaves of the renal fascia. It contains the following structures:
 * Perirenal space
 * Adrenal gland
 * Kidney
 * Renal vessels
 * Perirenal fat (also "perirenal fat capsule", "perinephric fat, or "adipose capsule of the kidney" ) is external to the fibrous capsule of the kidney, and internal to the renal fascia (which separates it from the pararenal fat); connective tissue trabeculae extend through it to unite the fibrous capsule of the kidney, and the renal fascia. Perirenal fat is most abundant upon the posterior aspect, inferior pole and along the lateral margins of the kidney.

Bounded by the posterior layer of peritoneum and the anterior leaf of the renal fascia. It contains the following structures:
 * Anterior pararenal space
 * Pancreas
 * Ascending and descending colon
 * Duodenum

Bounded by the posterior leaf of the renal fascia and the muscles of the posterior abdominal wall. It contains only fat ("pararenal fat" also known as "pararenal fat body", "paranephric body", or "paranephric fat").
 * Posterior pararenal space

Pararenal fat is a fatty layer situated posterior to the renal compartment, and extending inferiorly into the iliac fossa. It is situated posterior to the posterior aspect of renal fascia, and anterior to the aponeuroses of the retrorenal muscles. It is plentiful in the dihedral angle of the iliopsoas muscle and the quadratus lumborum muscle, filling the lumbar fossa posterior and inferior to the kidney.

Clinical significance
Bleeding from a blood vessel or structure in the retroperitoneal such as the aorta or inferior vena cava into the retroperitoneal space can lead to a retroperitoneal hemorrhage.

 * Retroperitoneal fibrosis
 * Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection

It is also possible to have a neoplasm in this area, more commonly a metastasis; or very rarely a primary neoplasm. The most common type is a sarcoma followed by lymphoma, extragonadal germ cell tumor, and gastrointestinal stromal tumor/GIST. Examples of tumors include

 * Primary peritoneal carcinoma
 * Pseudomyxoma peritonei
 * Examples of sarcomas include:
 * Soft-tissue sarcoma
 * liposarcoma
 * leiomyosarcoma
 * Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, a clinically distinct sarcoma of the area

title: Retroperitoneal space


text:
List of municipalities of Sweden by wealth

This is a list of the municipalities of Sweden by average net wealth of its inhabitants in 2007 according to Statistics Sweden.


text:
Wiconisco

Wiconisco may refer to the following in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania:

 * Wiconisco Canal, in Dauphin County
 * Wiconisco Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna River
 * Wiconisco Township, Pennsylvania

title: Wiconisco


text:
Brian Peckford

Alfred Brian Peckford (born August 27, 1942) is a Canadian politician who served as the third premier of Newfoundland from March 26, 1979 to March 22, 1989. A member of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party, Peckford was first elected as the Member of the House of Assembly (MHA) for Green Bay following the 1972 general election. He served as a cabinet minister in Frank Moores' government before he was elected as PC leader in 1979 following Moores' retirement.

Background
Alfred Brian Peckford was born in Whitbourne, Newfoundland on August 27, 1942, and was raised in the communities of Whitbourne, Marystown, and Lewisporte. He earned a Bachelor of Education degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland, and has completed postgraduate work in English Literature, Education, Psychology, and French Literature. Prior to entering politics, he was a high school teacher in rural Newfoundland. He was the founding patron of the Wessex Society of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Politics
Peckford was the Progressive Conservative (PC) candidate in the district of Green Bay in the 1972 provincial election. The PC Party won a majority government in the election and Peckford was narrowly elected in his district over the Liberal candidate. In 1973 he was appointed Parliamentary Assistant to Premier Frank Moores and the following year he was sworn into cabinet as the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. In the 1975 general election Peckford won 70 percent of the popular vote in his district, defeating the Liberal and New Democratic Party candidates. The PC Party won its second majority government under the leadership of Moores and Peckford remained the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The following year Moores shuffled his cabinet and Peckford was appointed Minister of Mines and Energy; and Rural and Northern Development.

Minister of Mines and Energy
Peckford was appointed Minister of Mines and Energy on September 9, 1976, replacing John Crosbie who was leaving provincial politics to run federally. The offshore oil industry was seen as a bright spot in the economic outlook for the province. As the minister responsible Peckford fought hard for provincial control over the emerging industry. Oil companies suspended offshore drilling in 1977 in protest, but after some compromises were made the oil companies eventually accepted the Newfoundland terms, which aimed to maximize local economic benefits and minimize social and environmental disruption. Oil companies would start drilling once again in 1978 under the province's term. One of the terms arranged was that oil companies would be responsible for paying the cost of training local people to work in the industry. The companies had the choice of spending the money themselves on training and researching or paying it into the provincial treasury. Peckford said he pushed for these terms with oil companies after seeing resource give aways in the mining sector as well as the Upper Churchill Falls hydroelectric deal. While Peckford was able to negotiate an agreement with oil companies over drilling in the continental shelf, the province was engaged in ownership dispute with the federal Liberal government over offshore petroleum resources. This dispute was settled after Peckford became premier.

Premier
On January 19, 1979, Moores announced he was stepping down as premier of the province and leaving politics. Even before announcing his leadership bid Peckford was mentioned as a likely frontrunner to succeed Moores. Ten people ran for the leadership of the party at its March 17, 1979, convention. Out of those ten, Peckford, Leo Barry, Walter Carter and William Doody were seen as the likelier candidates. Peckford was still considered by some media as the frontrunner and had racked up the most cabinet and caucus support. At the convention he led on the first two ballots and was elected leader over Carter and Doody on the third and final ballot.

At 36 years of age Peckford became the youngest first minister in Newfoundland's history and one of the few members of the political elite from a working-class outport background. Liberal leader Bill Rowe challenged Peckford to call an election immediately. He instead waited several months, first bringing down a budget, introducing new legislation and overhauling the rules of legislative procedure. On May 25, 1979, the legislature was dissolved with an election called for June 18. The election was called after Rowe had announced a Liberal leadership convention for July 6–7, due to party dissension over his leadership. While Rowe had planned on contesting the leadership himself he stepped aside and the Liberals installed Liberal MP Don Jamieson as leader two days after the election was called. Prior to Moores' resignation an opinion poll showed the Liberals leading the Progressive Conservatives; no formal polls were conducted during the election campaign. On election day Peckford led his party to its third straight majority government, they won 50 percent of the popular vote and 33 of the 52 seats in the House of Assembly. The Liberals won 41 percent of the vote and 19 seats, the NL NDP won 8 percent of the vote but no seats.

Resource management dominated Peckford's ten years as Premier of Newfoundland, particularly offshore oil, the fisheries, and hydroelectric developments. In all three areas, Peckford hoped to wrestle control from outside interests to secure greater revenues for the province. He argued this would end Newfoundland's status as the poorest province in the country. His government tried to renegotiate the Upper Churchill contract with Hydro Quebec, which had been signed by Premier Joey Smallwood in 1969. The deal sold cheap power to Hydro Quebec for 65 years with no allowances for inflation or revision. The province launched two legal battles over the deal but the Supreme Court of Canada ruled twice in Quebec's favour, in 1984 and 1988. The Peckford government sought to develop power on the Lower Churchill River, but could not secure a transmission route through Quebec into lucrative American and Canadian markets.

Although the fisheries remained vital to the economy of rural Newfoundland, they fell under federal jurisdiction. Ottawa determined fish quotas, distributed trawler licenses, and set all other aspects of fisheries policy. During the 1980 constitutional negotiations Peckford tried to acquire greater provincial control of the fisheries, but was unable to get enough support from other premiers. Peckford argued the province had a historic and moral right to the fisheries and the government did its best to influence federal fisheries policy. When the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans issued licenses to three factory freezer trawlers in 1985, he declared it "a disaster of monumental proportions". Overfishing continued to be an issue, and decisions made by Peckford's own administration did not help matters. Just three years after he left office cod stocks collapsed and the federal government announced a cod moratorium, which is still in effect in 2012.

After securing deals with oil companies regarding offshore exploration, he battled with Ottawa over ownership of the oil. The Peckford government had tried to negotiate an agreement with Pierre Trudeau's Liberal government over ownership, but were unsuccessful. With the two governments unable to come to an agreement the dispute was sent to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1982. The Peckford and Trudeau governments were that far apart on their views that Peckford hinted that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians might take a more radical stance, similar to the Quebec separatists, if the courts ruled against them.

During his heated dispute with the federal government Peckford called an election for April 6, 1982, hoping to regain a mandate to continue his tough stance with Ottawa and renegotiate the Upper Churchill contract with Quebec. The Liberals, led by Len Stirling, disagreed with Peckford's aggressive stances and campaigned on a slogan of "Make Work Not War". On election night Peckford led his party to victory again, winning 61 percent of the vote and 44 of the 52 seats in the House of Assembly. Only eight Liberals were elected and Stirling was defeated in his own riding of Bonavista North. During his election victory speech Peckford stated that "I am more convinced than I have any time in the past that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians speak [with] one voice when we all say one day the sun will shine and have-not will be no more", words that went on to become a household phrase in the province.

In March 1984 the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government owned the right to develop minerals on the continental shelf off Canada's coast. Peckford shifted his efforts to gaining joint management and most of the revenues from offshore oil resources and embarked on a cross-Canada tour to drum up support for the province's position. In the September 4, 1984, federal election Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative Party won a large majority government. Prior to the election Mulroney had agreed to a fair deal for the province with regards to offshore energy resources. On February 11, 1985, less than six months since Mulroney's election victory, both levels of government signed the Atlantic Accord. The Accord granted Newfoundland significant decision-making powers and financial benefits. It made the federal and provincial governments equal partners in the management of offshore developments through the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board. The Accord was widely hailed as a success for the Peckford government and a turning point for the provincial economy.

Weeks after signing the Atlantic Accord, Peckford announced that an election would be held on April 2, 1985. He self-proclaimed himself the "Great Negotiator" for the Atlantic Accord but during the election he was hounded by teachers and public service employees who were upset with the two year government-imposed wage freeze. Fraser March, the president of the Newfoundland Public Employees Association, had pledged to campaign against "every Tory in the province". A poll released just days before the vote showed the Progressive Conservatives and Liberals were tied at 41.5 percent outside St. John's, while Peckford's Tories led in the capital city. The Progressive Conservatives won 49 per cent of the popular vote on election night, compared to 37 percent for the Liberals and 14 percent for the NDP.

Although resource development dominated Peckford's time as premier his government is responsible for a number of things that have shaped Newfoundland and Labrador. After his party was re-elected in 1979 Peckford appointed Lynn Verge and Hazel Newhook to cabinet, they became the first women to serve as Cabinet ministers in the province. Peckford also brought in the first pay equity policy, established the first Status of Women Council, and in 1983 appointed Margaret Cameron as the province's first woman Supreme Court justice. In 1980 the new provincial flag, his government is responsible for the Department of Environment, they brought in grade 12 to the high school curriculum, and started construction on the Trans-Labrador Highway. In 1987 the Peckford government partnered with Phillip Sprung to construct a hydroponic greenhouse complex on the St. John's-Mount Pearl border. While the greenhouses were supposed to create jobs, tap into a profitable export market, and supply local consumers with fresh and affordable vegetables year-round, they ended up being an economic disaster. The government poured $22 million into the project and it went bankrupt only two years later. The credibility of Peckford and the Progressive Conservatives had been hurt by the project. On January 21, 1989, he announced he was leaving politics, Tom Rideout was chosen as his successor in March, and the PC Party was defeated in the provincial election the following month by the Liberals.

Post-political life
Peckford became a business consultant and has sat on numerous boards since leaving politics including the board of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in the 1990s. He relocated to British Columbia in the early 1990s and in 1998 was appointed to lead a one-person inquiry into the state of Fraser River salmon stocks and fishery management.

In 2008, he was appointed chair of a federal government–appointed expert panel to review federal chronic disease policy, especially diabetes, and to present a report to the federal Health minister. He is currently a director of Strongbow Exploration Inc., a public junior mining company. He has also been an advisor to the British Columbia Conservative Party, co-chairing the party's issues management committee.

Peckford endorsed the People's Party led by Maxime Bernier in the 2021 Canadian federal election and Peckford appeared on Jordan Peterson's podcast on January 26, 2022, where he claimed that the Canadian government infringed on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On January 27, 2022, it was revealed that Peckford is the lead plaintiff for the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms in a federal court case which is challenging the validity of the federal government’s ban on travel for people who are unvaccinated.

Peckford and his wife currently live in Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island.

title: Brian Peckford


text:
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 (Микоян-Гуревич МиГ-1) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II that was designed to meet a requirement for a high-altitude fighter issued in 1939. To minimize demand on strategic materials such as aluminum, the aircraft was mostly constructed from steel tubing and wood. Flight testing revealed a number of deficiencies, but it was ordered into production before they could be fixed. Although difficult to handle, one hundred were built before the design was modified into the MiG-3. The aircraft was issued to fighter regiments of the Soviet Air Forces (VVS) in 1941, but most were apparently destroyed during the opening days of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.

Design phase
The MiG-1 was designed in response to a requirement for a high-altitude fighter with an inline engine issued by the VVS in January 1939. Initially the aircraft, designated I-200, was designed in the Polikarpov construction bureau. Work started in June 1939, under the direction of Nikolai Polikarpov and his assistant M. Tetivikin. Polikarpov himself preferred radial engines and promoted his I-180 design at that time, but when the powerful Mikulin AM-37 inline engine became available, he decided to use it in a fighter. The approach that he selected was to build the smallest possible aircraft around the intended powerplant, thereby minimizing weight and drag — the philosophy of the light fighter. As specified, the aircraft was to be capable of reaching 670 km/h (417 mph). In August 1939, Polikarpov fell out of favor with Joseph Stalin and as a result, when Polikarpov went in November 1939 to tour Germany's aviation works, the Soviet authorities decided to scatter his construction team and create a new Experimental Construction Section (OKO), headed by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich, which remained formally subordinated to the Polikarpov bureau until June 1940. Further work upon the I-200 design was assigned to Mikoyan and Gurevich, who later became recognized — not with full justice — as its designers.

The MiG-1 was a low-wing monoplane with a tailwheel undercarriage of mixed construction. Due to shortages of light alloys, the rear fuselage was made from wood, but the front fuselage, from the propeller to the rear of the cockpit, was a welded steel tube truss covered by duralumin. The bulk of the wing was wooden, but the center section was all-metal with a steel I-section main spar. The wing used a Clark YH profile. It was evenly tapered with rounded tips and the outer wing panels had 5° of dihedral. All three landing gear wheels retracted hydraulically; the main units inwards into the wing center section. The cockpit was situated well aft, which seriously limited forward vision when landing and taxiing. The AM-37 engine was not yet available and the less powerful V-12 Mikulin AM-35A had to be substituted. It had six exhaust ejectors, one for each pair of cylinders, that provided some additional thrust. It drove a VISh-22Ye controllable-pitch propeller 3 m in diameter. The air intakes for the supercharger were in the wing roots and the oil cooler was on the port side of the engine cowling. The radiator was underneath the cockpit. Armament included two fuselage-mounted 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns and one 12.7 mm UBS machine gun.

The result was a highly conventional aircraft that first flew on schedule on 5 April 1940 at the Khodynka Aerodrome in Moscow with chief test pilot Arkadij Ekatov at the controls. On 24 May the first prototype attained a speed of 648.5 km/h (402.9 mph) at 6,900 m (22,638 ft). It could not, however, attain the speed originally specified by the Air Force with this engine. The second prototype took to the air on 9 May, but the third aircraft, the first to be armed, was forced to wait until 6 June, as problems with its synchronization gear prolonged the ground firing tests. On 5 August 651 km/h was reached at 7000 m using maximum boost. Time to altitude figures were 5.1 minutes to 5000 m and 7.2 minutes to 7000 m and speeds at lower altitudes were 579 km/h at 2200 m and 605 km/h at 3630 m.

Production and improvements
The I-200 was ordered into production almost immediately, on 31 May 1940. In contrast to the other competing designs, the I-26 (Yak-1) and I-301 (LaGG-3), the I-200 successfully completed the state trials in August on its first attempt. But the trials revealed a number of serious defects, including inadequate visibility when taxiing, poor-quality plexiglas in the canopy obscuring the pilot's view, heavy controls, poor longitudinal stability, difficulty in opening the canopy, an excessively hot cockpit and a "dangerous propensity to flick from a simple stall into a spin from which it was almost impossible to recover".

A number of improvements were ordered to be made to the aircraft as a result of the deficiencies discovered during the trials, but only a few of them were able to be implemented before production began as the VVS was very anxious to get modern fighters into service. These included an additional air intake on the starboard side of the nose for the oil cooler, rubber sheaths around the fuel tanks to make them self-sealing, two underwing bomb racks each capable of carrying a 100 kg FAB-100 bomb, a PBP-1 gunsight and each ShKAS was given 375 rounds and the UBS 300 rounds. From the ninth aircraft onwards the side-opening canopy was replaced by a rear-sliding canopy that could be jettisoned in flight. On 9 December 1940 the first 100 I-200s were designated as the MiG-1 (after the initials of Mikoyan and Gurevich).

The improvement process continued throughout the production run, though they were not immediately implemented in the production line, but were instead incorporated in a fourth prototype for evaluation. This aircraft first flew on 29 October 1940 and was a significant improvement over the I-200s then in production. It passed its State acceptance trials and its improvements were incorporated in the production line from the 101st I-200. These were designated as the MiG-3 on 9 December, although the first production MiG-3 was not completed until 20 December 1940.

Additional testing
The I-200 prototypes were used to evaluate a number of proposals. For example, the second prototype was fitted with a prototype of the AM-37 engine and first flew with that engine on 6 January 1941. It experienced severe vibration problems and, despite efforts to cure the problems, failed during a flight on 7 May, and was destroyed in the ensuing crash. The third prototype was generally used for armament trials, experimenting with 82 mm RS-82 rockets among other weapons. For another trial it was equipped with the experimental 23 mm MP-3 autocannon carried underneath the wings in external pods and redesignated as the IP-201. The 12.7 mm UBS gun was removed for these tests and the space freed up was used to install an extra fuel tank. Initially the cannon had the low rate of fire of only 300 rounds per minute, but this was soon doubled and the gun was renamed the MP-6. Installation of the guns was difficult, despite the aircraft's metal outer wing panels, and the wings deformed when the cannon were first mounted. It made its first and only flight on 1 December 1940 carrying two MP-6s and two 12.7 mm AP-12.7 machine guns, but a blocked fuel line caused a forced landing before the guns could be fired. Testing on a variety of other aircraft revealed very unsatisfactory performance from the guns and their development was canceled. The designers were arrested on 15 May 1941 and executed on 28 October 1941.

Operational history
On 3 December 1940 the VVS ordered that the 41st Fighter Regiment (istrebitel'nyy aviatsionnyy polk), based at the Crimean town of Kacha, was to conduct operational trials on the I-200 and that they were to be transferred to the 146th Fighter Regiment at Yevpatoria, also in the Crimea, for pilot training after the conclusion of the trials. By 22 February 1941, 89 had been issued to regular fighter units, notably the 89th Fighter Regiment at Kaunas, Lithuania and the 41st Fighter Regiment at Białystok, Poland, both places under Soviet occupation since 1939–40. On 1 June 1941 they were spread out a bit more, with 31 in the Baltic Military District, 37 in the Western Special Military District, one in the Kiev Military District and eight in the Odessa Military District for a total of 77 on hand, of which only 55 were operational. An additional eight MiG-1s were assigned to the Soviet Navy. However, only four pilots were trained to handle either the MiG-1 or the MiG-3.

Little is known of the performance of the MiG-1 in combat as most were likely destroyed during the opening days of Operation Barbarossa. However, one was still in the inventory of the VVS as late as 1944 when it was recorded as withdrawn that year.

Variants

 * Samolet Kh (Самолет Х): Internal OKB "aircraft" designation of the I-200 prototype.
 * Izdeliye-61: Internal OKB "product" designation of the I-200 prototype.
 * I-200: MiG-1 prototype, three made.
 * MiG-1: Single-seat interceptor fighter aircraft for the Soviet Air Force.

Operators

 * Soviet Air Forces (VVS)
 * Soviet Navy
 * Soviet Navy

title: Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1