A FEW days before Christmas, many Australians face a real dilemma: to save or to spend.

Columnist Prof Don Aitkin notices that in the last few years Australians have begun to hang on to money and savings are rising rapidly. However, our frugality is by no means praised, as the government seems to urge us to spend more, for the national interest.

Treasurer Wayne Swan decides to spend less. He has committed himself and the Government to a return to a budget surplus next financial year, by adding another 2.5 per cent to the efficiency dividends, which columnist Aitkin sees as a mindless act of helplessness.

“CityNews” gadfly Robert Macklin attended a three-day workshop on television production recently, which convinces him that there is room for a film industry in Canberra.

ABC television news is losing its viewers in Canberra. According to the latest TV ratings, the ABC local television news bulletin has lost almost half its average nightly viewers, while WIN proves to be Canberra’s most-watched.

Thanks to the the National Gallery of Australia, Canberrans have a lot of Italy to love for this season. The NGA opens its newest exhibition “Renaissance: 15th & 16th Century Italian Paintings from the Accademia Carrara, Bergamo”.