Assurances On Family Leave About As Plausible As Santa Claus

Kevin Andrews, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, is being disingenuous (Letters, December 29). I can imagine the Office of Workplace Services accepting "dressing up as Santa Claus" as a family responsibility, can't you? Or in the case of Catherine Green's daughter (Letters, December 29), "visiting grandparents, aunts and cousins". And, of course, the minister totally ignores the issue of penalty rates. We know who is being misleading, and it isn'tA.J. Ashenden.

Children Called To Click-start Surprise Fireworks

FRESH from convincing their children that Santa Claus really does exist, parents have a new fantasy to sell: click your heels three times on New Year's Eve and you'll trigger the fireworks on Sydney Harbour.

Penalty Claus: A Hated Law Took Santa Out Of Christmas

SANTA CLAUS could not visit the Ashenden's Christmas this year - he was too busy at his other job.

Dear Santa, I've Been Good And Would Like . . .

SANTA Claus has received more letters than ever from NSW youngsters.

It's Hard Work, This Christmas Caper

YOU wonder how Santa Claus has such decent posture, given the size of that sack he's been hauling around for years.

Cups King Confident Prince Can Step Up

LOOKING for a bit of Christmas cheer? Bart Cummings may well be Santa Claus. The training maestro is teaming up with jockey Robert Thompson at Randwick today with the pair intent on claiming the Villiers Stakes with an improving galloper named Prince Arthur.

In Store Now, Angels To Restore Santa Glow

THERE are times when there seems to be so much bad news around that I struggle to even pretend to believe in Santa Claus.

Brightly Rothery St, Bellambi

Novelty scene: No-one does Christmas lights like the Illawarra. The Mercury will feature the best light show each day until Christmas. This colourful home in Rothery St, Bellambi includes a traditional nativity scene alongside many jolly Santa Claus figures. Only nine sleeps to go until the big day!

Protect Your Gifts

Santa Claus is a welcome intruder at this time of the year but it's a sad fact that the holiday season is also prime time for burglars.

Memo To Santas

IF you're planning on joining the Santa Claus Pub Crawl tonight, don't forget to take along a child's present.

So You Want To ... Be Santa Claus

THIS CHRISTMAS, GEORGE Sager, 80, will celebrate his 21st year in the red suit. The former council worker has played Santa Claus each December since retiring after 40 years of tending to Sydney's roads, gardens and pools.

Pub Crawl Before He Can Walk

FIVE-MONTH-OLD Thomas Algie is the first child of the Santa Claus Pub Crawl.

Christmas Bells Set 100 Tiny Toes Twinkling

HOW do you get 10 baby ballerinas to stay on stage for the duration of a song? Give them a present and throw in Santa Claus.

New Claus In The Contract

'TWAS the month before Christmas and Bernie, as human resources manager of a major department store, was interviewing applicants for the position of store Santa Claus. None of the hopefuls he'd seen so far were anywhere near suitable and quiet desperation was setting in.