News location:

Canberra Today 14°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Canberra Confidential: She wouldn’t, would she?

A CREDIBLE political snout says the ALP’s biggest electoral asset, Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, will hand over the big chair to deputy Andrew Barr some time during the life of the present Assembly, to spend more time with her family.

Chief Minister Katy Gallagher
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher

While that’s a familiar excuse, there may be some validity here; the Chief is a devoted parent who was controversially criticised by pilloried former Liberal front bencher Jacqui Burke for bunking off to the kids when she was Deputy Chief Minister.

While CC finds it hard to believe, we have asked Katy whether we’re hot or cold, but at press time hadn’t had a response.

Don’t worry, be happy

CHRIS Knaus is the police reporter for “The Canberra Times” and over the past weeks authored a major series called “Punch Drunk, fighting violence in the city”, which has embroidered the paper’s front and inside pages with hair-curling accounts of violence in Civic fuelled by excessive alcohol.

CC was therefore startled to read on Facebook how Mr K and a couple of chums planned to host a 27.5-hour New Year’s Eve party (December 31, 2011 at 1pm until January 1, 2012 at 4.30pm).

In an invitation sent to scores of people, with an illustration of two bra-clad women kissing horizontally atop of a group of metal kegs, guests were promised “a BBQ and drinks all day and night (before we head out) to celebrate the New Year in style” and offering, among other things, beer pong, drinks, alcohol, beer, food, jelly shots (“if u come early”), spa… “and [separate name removed]’s penis will no doubt make an appearance. We will prob start drinking early in the arvo, so feel free to come anytime!”

CC wonders if this year will be a little more subdued?

Branch off to hospital

LOOKS like rolling pins at 10 paces as the two local Country Women’s Association branches agree to disagree.

The Evening Branch (30 members) has decamped from Scone Central, the association’s Barry Drive clubrooms, ostensibly citing parking problems and security dangers for members returning to their cars late at night in Civic.

But the nub of the disaffection that Evening Branch president Joan Crook won’t talk about is an increase in maintenance costs imposed by the 100-strong Day Branch, who are the greater users of the clubroom’s resources.

Calvary John James has come to the rescue offering the estranged Eveningers the hospital’s Education Room next year in deference to the branch’s commitment to making trauma dolls for the pediatric department.

Odds on the GG

FORMER chief of the defence force Peter Cosgrove is the favourite and his successor, Angus Houston, second favourite of the mysterious Braddon Punters’ Club for Australia’s next Governor-General, with civilians, Olympic boss John Coates and former PM John Howard not far behind.

The club reckons it got the odds right for the last ACT election and has listed its selections for the upcoming vice-regal role after Quentin Bryce vacates Yarralumla in the New Year.

Here’s the latest call of the card:

Peter Cosgrove, 5/2; Angus Houston, 3/1; John Coates, 4/1; John Howard, 5/1; Harold Mitchell, 6/1; Ita Butrose, 7/1; Heather Ridout,  7/1; Pat Dodson, 10/1; Michael Kirby, 10/1; Bonita Mabo, 10/1; Fiona Wood, 10/1; Amanda Vanstone, 15/1; Cardinal George Pell, scr; first emergency: Andrew Scipione, 12/1 and second emergency: Ben Roberts-Smith, 8/1.

Seek and find

EVEN “The Canberra Times” is using Seek to recruit staff, with an advertisement for a senior position oddly titled the “life and entertainment topic editor”. One attribute the successful candidate will have is an understanding of “what makes digital audiences tick”. Balanced, accurate and fair reporting would be our guess.

Last laugh for MagindaMaginda

MAGINDA Wood (right) got the last laugh from comedian and MC Vince Sorrenti when she was declared the winner of a new $480,000, fully furnished, eighth-floor apartment in Belconnen’s Altitude complex in the Labor Club’s “Walk Right In” competition.

Hmmms

URBAN Food, the pioneering restaurant of the up-and-coming NewActon precinct, has apparently gone bust, according to next-door neighbours Mocan and Green Grout. The restaurant has been closed since Saturday “until further notice” with a sign urging customers to go to nearby newbie A.Baker for breakfast instead.

CC  has been told by the formidable National Portrait Gallery chair Dr Helen Nugent that a new director for the Gallery would be announced in the New Year and that intermin director Jenny Bott is just that.

“CITYNEWS” gardening guru Cedric Bryant, buying Christmas-card stamps from the Post Office, was asked if he wanted religious or non-religious ones!

IF you missed the opportunity of doing something special on Wednesday, December 11 (11/12/13), fear not, it’s only a 90-year wait until 1/2/3 (February 1, 2103) for the next such sequence.

RELAX, if you’re going nowhere during the holidays. Staying home just took on a new cache with Canberra just being rated number six in the website TripAdvisor’s top 10 Travellers’ Choice Awards for Destinations on the Rise for the South Pacific region.

THE full name of WA’s favourite baseball team is the “Alcohol. Think Again Perth Heat”.

 

 

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.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Share this

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Lifestyle

Two words and you may be off to Jamala Lodge

Here's a special advertising feature with a twist of April Fool's Day fun and the chance to win a free night's accommodation for two, valued at $1850 at the award-winning Jamala Wildlife Lodge at the National Zoo and Aquarium.

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews