OH, no! What’s this? An unthinkable tiff between the ACT Government and reporters from the “Canberra Times”?

Unhappy reporter Tom McIlroy, sniffily tweeted that it was “strange” the Chief Minister and his deputy “hide press conference on asset sales from ‘Canberra Times’ reporters. What’s got their goat?”

Tom’s big call had CM Andrew Barr growling back: “An offsite event for the TVs. You got the media release with everyone else. Send through any questions you have.”

McIlroy: “We’ve sent through questions but it’s a shame we couldn’t ask them ourselves.”

Barr then (LOL) joked: “Are you asking questions for someone else then?”

Reporter Stephanie Anderson then sticks in her bib: “Odd. All media should get chance to question pollies, instead of getting standard response via press rep.”

Barr retorts: “You can always request an interview. ABC drive and other radio newsrooms have and I’ll be on air later this afternoon.”

McIlroy: “Thank you, we regularly do. We should also be alerted to media events.”

An arrogant step too far for Barr? He witheringly then tweets: “If they are ‘all in’ events then yes. Not every media event is ‘all in’. You don’t invite other media to your interviews.”

That flushed out former “CityNews” journalist Steven Easton, who from deep personal experience just couldn’t resist: “And after all those great EXCLUSIVES you’ve produced over the years together. Come on guys, work it out.”

Don’t bother, Andrew. You have more media opportunities than feeding those ingrates from Fyshwick.

How pioneer Dom’s become history

“CITYNEWS” arts editor Helen Musa was pleased enough to receive a “VIP invite” to the “silver year” launch on March 13 by Tuggeranong Arts Centre of Tuggeranong Community Arts Association’s 25th year of operation.

Imagine her surprise when she rang Domenic Mico, founding TCA director and long-time agitator for the association, to ask if he’d be there as a special guest.

“No” was the answer.

The highlight of the evening is to be a presentation by Canberra historian David Headon and “a journey through the creative history of Tuggeranong in word, picture and movement”.

Given Headon’s collegiate association with the newish director  of TCA, Rauny Worms, with whom he worked at the Canberra Centenary office, his star billing was unsurprising.

TCA says an invitation was hand delivered, but unsighted by Domenic. They apparently don’t have his email address. It took CC 15 seconds to find a Facebook address for him.

 

Northies news from the north

“Leach among the runs for North Canberra Gungahlin,” is the unlikely heading leading the sports section on the faraway “Worcester News” website in the UK.

And why the interest in our northside cricket? The Northies have Worcestershire all-rounder Joe Leach among their number and his home-town paper credited him with helping “his side build a substantial total on the opening day of their Australian Capital Territory first grade match away to Weston Creek Molonglo.”

When words are not enough

David Pembroke, principal of local government marketing agency, Contentgroup, certainly talks the talk when it comes to explaining things to his bureaucratic clientele.

To wit: “Content marketing is a strategic and measurable business process that relies on the curation, creation and distribution of valuable, relevant and consistent content to engage and inform a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving a desired citizen or stakeholder action.” Simple, really.

Hmmms…

THE OzHarvest food van has returned. Its ACT manager Dave Burnet says: “With the support of the Snow Foundation, Canberra Airport and the Thyne Reid Foundation we’ve hit the road again. Our food collections are in the order of 4000 to 5000 kilos a week, and every kilo is delivered free to the 43 (and rising) charities we assist.”

OzHarvest, which recovers food from restaurants and supermarkets and distributes it to local charities, was lost to Canberra in 2012 after separating from local operator Communities@Work, which went on to replace it with its own Yellow Van.

HAS Kingston’s Belgian Beer Café poured its last pint? There’s a sign on the door saying it’s closed until further notice, but a dining snout says the cafe is closed for good.

THIS is what happens these days when the subject of “politicians” is brought up in a focus group. In an article in “The Monthly”, public affairs researcher Scott Steel says: “The two most popular expletives are ‘bastards’ and ‘dickheads’. Except for old ladies over 70 – they particularly like the word ‘mongrels’.”

FROM Robbo’s in Fyshwick: “The wonderful Caroline Buchanan swang by our dealership late yesterday afternoon…” Swang? Don’t they mean swunged?

A BILLION is popularly defined as a thousand million, which made the “Canberra Times” characterisation of ANU philanthropist Graham Tuckwell as a billionaire businessman dreadfully off the mark when, later in the report of his being feted by the uni for his generosity, he is described as having an estimated personal fortune of only $775 million. Still a squillion, though.