IS the Federal member for Fraser getting a bit ahead of himself?
Looking at this picture, it would seem he has succeeded – while still alive – in having a street named after himself barely two years into his term as a Labor backbencher.
But no, on the first anniversary of the “CityNews” cover-story expose of Canberra’s silly, free sign policy (where just anyone can get street advertising by simply applying), MP Andrew Leigh has successfully affixed a sign on Cooyong Street helpfully directing milling hordes of lost and curious constituents to the bosom of his office in nearby Torrens Street.
And the TAMS criteria for granting a sign? “Community services and businesses where the particular service would not normally be anticipated.” A politician in Canberra? Fancy that.
One fateful tweet… now Amy’s an anchor!
Amy, who previously was Southern Cross Ten’s producer/newsreader, “took a leap of faith” and bought a one-way ticket to America in May.
Not long after arriving, she tweeted an anchor at CNN International and a few days later she was flying from the West Coast to meet him.
“A chance meeting in a corridor with the head of programming set the wheels in motion; the next thing I know I am sitting tests and interviewing,” she told “CC”.
“Hours later, I was offered a job as a writer/producer…and now I have been asked to anchor the ‘World Report’ on CNN International on the weekends from August 25, so my friends and family all over, including back in Canberra, can see me. An Australian accent on American television is still a relative frontier!”
Perhaps it’s time to start tweeting, people.
‘Hope’ less
“CC” was bumbling through Llewellyn Hall, having just presented a prize to rapturous applause in the joyous junior choirs eisteddfod, when your correspondent noticed high on the bleak concrete corridor wall a cheeky protest characterisation of the ANU vice-chancellor Ian Young in an execution of grotesque irony.
The unloved professor is represented in the style of Obama Barack’s celebrated “Hope” poster. Except in Young’s case he has the word “Money” under his beaming countenance.
Hard news
YOU can’t buy a newspaper in Bungendore these days. Not the effect of new technology, just the sad tale of the popular town newsagent slumping into receivership, unhelped by the cost of going to a carpark in Queanbeyan pre-dawn every morning to fetch the papers. The intransigent newspaper publishers refuse to pass a truck through the town and the extra cost of carting the papers has overwhelmed the small newsagent’s fine margins.
Lisa’s in lurve
ONE of “CC’s” Love Whisperers tells us that this column’s lovely founder, the irrepressible Lisa Ridgley is in lurve. The new squeeze is dashing, young, local horse trainer Nick Olive, whose own website modestly intones that he is “Canberra’s leading trainer having claimed the trainers’ premiership in the nation’s capital in three out of the last four seasons”.
Mysterious Frank
FORMER long-time Queanbeyan mayor and aspiring MLA at the last ACT election Frank Pangallo still has the Pangallo Independents registered as a political party in the ACT.
So, is the sap rising for another shot at the Molonglo title for the latter-day Narrabundah resident? His party ran three candidates in the middle seat at the 2008 poll and snagged 4225 first preferences (or 4.9 per cent of the vote – 4 per cent to Frank alone). Which wasn’t bad compared to high-profile Attorney General Simon Corbell’s 4590.
Frank’s still deciding, telling “CC” we’d all know by the close of candidate nominations in late September.
Damn lights
THEY’RE back… Why do the southern suburbs motorists have to endure traffic-light disruption on Commonwealth Avenue a whole month before Floriade begins every year? Do southsiders really need 33 days to rehearse stopping for every random jogger and dog walker during the morning and afternoon rush periods? It’s election year and if any aspiring MLA is looking for “CC’s” vote…
Yo ho, no!
MORE silliness… Myer in Belconnen was busted playing, brace yourself, Christmas carols on Sunday, August 12. “CC” was too indisposed in a change room to complain, but other shoppers must have and the music was replaced. Power to the people!
Who can be trusted?
In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.
If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.
Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.
Thank you,
Ian Meikle, editor
Leave a Reply