TWENTY four and counting… that’s the quiet headcount of redundancies to date as Transact’s corporate functions inevitably get vacuumed into the vortex of its new Perth-based owner iiNet.

Despite the warm-glow promises of no changes for a couple of years, the Sandgropers are putting an economic bowling ball through the white collars in Dickson.

A Transact deep throat tells “CC” that high-profile CEO Ivan Slavich, who has one of the best business and social networks in Canberra, has had his own job and title “realigned”, but has compassionately managed each departure, taking corporate pastoral care to a new high by also finding jobs elsewhere for at least five of his lost sheep.

Who’s that with Ivan?

WHILE politely refusing to comment on matters iiNet, ebullient iiVan did give “CC” an exclusive – a picture of himself and the second man to land on the moon, Buzz Aldrin. Slavich, a hopeless history tragic, found himself at the US embassy’s Independence Day burger fest weak-kneed in the company of the 82-year-old astronautical artifact.

Your shout, David

DAVID Metcalf, chair of Canberra’s annual National Wine Show of Australia, has given up drinking alcohol. But only for the month. He’s signed up to the Dry July program. “Why?” was “CC’s” slack-jawed response. “It’s in a good cause, cancer support.” It is too, but we reckon he’ll still be counting the sleeps!

Bounced from ball

SO much for freedom of the press… “CityNews” social snapper Andrew Finch was escorted from Parliament House during the pre-dinner drinks at the Press Gallery’s slap-up Winter Ball on the say so of a security goon who ordered him not to take happy snaps of willing guests, while other photographers were. He told the affable Andrew, a very occasional visitor to Parliament House, that he’d seen him sneaking around the place (a la paparazzi) trying to get photos. Pants on fire, Peter. We were welcome last year and we will be back next time to test Capital Hill’s finest!

Plush gets the push

ANOTHER prominent Canberra arts figure has fallen victim to restructuring, with the director of research and development at the National Film and Sound Archive, Vincent Plush, being moved on at financial year’s end. After what the bean-counters assured him was 5.3347 years of service, he’s quite happy about the move, though. A noted composer who is keen to get back to creative work, Plush has plans to write a new orchestral work for 2013.

Jumped or pushed?

THERE are a lot of tight lips around the Belconnen Arts Centre, following the announcement that founding director Hannah Semler, will leave on July 6.

Semler is tight-lipped, saying she’s “taking leave from Saturday, July 7 and will be attending to a host of long outstanding personal matters that one just does not get to when running a wonderful, but very full on program here.”

And yet, the board, led by arts identity Evol McLeod, and staff – also tight-lipped – have thrown a farewell party to thank her and “share in her many achievements of the past three years”.

Jumped or pushed? No-one’s saying.

Looking for lolly

WEDDINGS, funerals… anything to raise funds. That’s the message from “LocalnLive Radio” on 2XXFM, which is running a crowd-sourced fundraiser to make the program “a music platform full of Canberra artists,” says manager Jamie Freestone. Starting at the White Eagle Polish Club, O’Connor, on July 13, “LnL” and 15 bands will launch a five-week fundraising campaign where the community can pledge money in exchange for unique and creative “rewards” through the crowd-funding website, pozible.com/localnlive

With the funds raised, “LnL” will equip a street team to record, film, and put on local music events, which will all be shared through the program and its website.