Bus commuters in the Caboolture area will find themselves being chauffeured by bus driver royalty from Monday following the awarding of the 2019 SEQ Bus Driver Of The Year award.

John Russ from Caboolture Buslines was singled out from more than 2,500 nominations. 

He tells Mark his passengers are his extended family and getting the job behind the wheel has been a blessing in his life.

Visitors to the Stockmen’s Bar and Grill at the Ekka may want to come armed with fistfuls of dollar coins to pay for a trip back to the 70s and 80s in the Ekka Pinball Arcade.

The arcade boasts more than 50 pinball machines, many of them vintage, and more than 20 arcade games including eight original Donkey Kong machines.

While it is all fun and games, there is also a serious side with the arcade hosting the 5th Brisbane Pinball Masters and the Australian Kong Off 3.

Organiser Jimmy Nail tells Mark a number of arcade legends will be there including Billy Mitchell, the King Of Kong, and one of the world’s top ranked pinball pros.

The Morrison government has passed its tax legislation meaning many people can expect a pleasant boost to their annual tax refund.

Having worked hard for the taxman all year, perhaps it’s time to take a well earned break.

Wietske Hattingh from Journeys Worldwide had a number of suggestions for Mark to spend his refund when it arrives.

Many travelers are too quick to rule a line through India as a destination because of preconceptions about the food, the crowds and the poverty.

It is a shame because they are missing out on one of the most spectacular and memorable holiday experiences on the planet.

Margaret Freebairn from Journeys Worldwide is recently returned from leading a tour to India and she tells Mark people would be pleasantly suprised with how safe and comfortable the experience can be.

The High Court has ruled that Commonwealth public servants aren’t entitled to publicly criticise government policy without consequence.

It comes after a former Immigration Department staffer lost her job in 2013 for breaching the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct when she tweeted criticism of immigration policy.

She challenged her dismissal arguing she had an implied right to freedom of political communication, but in a unanimous decision the High Court justices found she was in breach of her responsibilities.

One of Australia’s leading authorities on free speech Professor Katharine Gelber explains to Mark why she doesn’t think the ruling will have wider impacts on free speech.

There is no cure for the common cold.

The best most people can hope for is to manage the effects such as a sore throat, fever, nasal congestion and a runny nose.

A team at the University Of The Sunshine Coast is about to conduct a clinical trial of a new nasal spray drug to combat the symptoms and is looking for volunteers.

Dr Paula Conroy from USC Clinical Trials tells Mark there’s only one qualification, anyone taking part needs to have a cold.

Anyone interested in taking part can go to:

https://www.usc.edu.au/connect/usc-clinical-trials/participate-in-a-clinical-trial

Or call 07 5456 3965

There are warnings that by 2056 Brisbane will be the size that Sydney is today, leaving the city groaning under the weight of overpopulation.

One solution is to encourage more of those coming to Queensland to look outside the capital to regional areas.

The Regional Australia Institute is calling on governments to provide greater incentives to get people into country areas and institute co-chief executive Kim Houghton tells Mark everyone benefits.

It is a sad fact that many children go to school without having eaten a healthy breakfast, which impacts their ability to perform in class.

Addressing that issue has earned Phil Sargeson the title of Brisbane Father Of The Year.

Phil, a father-of-two, founded the charity Cereal for Coffee and he tells Mark they provide more than 1,000 school kids with a healthy breakfast every week.

Young Queensland apprentices in nearly 140 high-demand jobs will have their training costs paid by the state government under a $32 million job creation program.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged businesses to take on more apprentices and trainees, with a promise to cover the cost of workers aged under 21.

The move is expected to progress around 60,000 young people into a trade in the next four years in occupations suffering skills shortages.

It will mean savings of up to $3000 over the life of the apprenticeship for businesses who currently fund the courses.

Mark speaks to Paul Hillberg- Apprenticeships QLD General Manager and he tells Mark this announcement will mean an uplift in apprenticeships numbers which had been on a decline in recent years.

Diesel has announced the release of 3 separate EP’s leading to an album Sunset Suburbia.

To coincide, Diesel is hitting the road once again with his power house trio, showcasing songs from the 3 EP’s plus hits and favourites spanning his multi-platinum career.

He tells Mark his latest EP is based on his real life experiences including having a gun held to his head at a service station in the US.