SYDNEY: Judges for this year’s Archibald Portrait Prize have settled on Vincent Namatjira’s portrait of mining magnate Gina Rinehart (below) as the winner this year’s $100,000 main award.

A spokesperson for the Art Gallery of NSW which organises the nation’s most prominent portraiture prize said members of the judging panel were unanimous in their decision.

“We recognise it will be a controversial choice as winner, especially since entries closed on 3 May and Vincent hadn’t actually entered the competition nor does his Rinehart portrait meet many of the entry criteria,” the spokesperson said.

“But judges are confident that other entrants and Australia’s wider artistic community will totally understand.”

Meanwhile Queensland Swimming has written to the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) saying it should remove Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles (main picture) from public viewing.

Chief executive of Swimming Queensland, Kevin Hasemann, (inset in main picture) said he had never viewed the work because he had never visited an art gallery let alone the NGA, but remained opposed to its continued exhibition at the NGA.

“I just don’t like it,” Mr Hasemann said. “It looks nothing like any blue poles I’ve ever seen.”

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SYDNEY: Telstra says its plans to cut 2,800 jobs will not adversely affect its level of service.

“I mean, how the hell could it make it worse?” a spokesperson said.

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SEATTLE: The US-based Boeing Aircraft Corporation has made its first response to news of a mid-air plunge by a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 that caused one death and 18 passengers to be hospitalised.

When contacted at the company’s headquarters, a Boeing spokesperson said: “Oh what the fuck now?”

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