In this second of three columns reviewing the mid-term achievements of the Legislative Assembly, MICHAEL MOORE reviews the performance of the Canberra Liberals. 

THE Liberals under Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee have been attempting to rebrand themselves by transitioning the public persona of the party from conservative to liberal. 

Halfway through the current Assembly is a good time to consider how they are going. So I asked them to share some of their highlights.

The Greens and Labor do have control of the purse strings. The challenge for the Liberals is to present issues where they have been able to encourage (or perhaps embarrass) the government into action.

A comprehensive strategy for our education system was released by the shadow education minister Jeremy Hanson with the title “Bringing out the Best in every Child”. In launching the report, Hanson argued: “Improvements are needed across the key areas of academic standards; equity; bullying and violence; school funding and governance; and overcrowded schools and ageing infrastructure”.

Unfortunately, the conclusions are not surprising. However, the tone is one of liberal, rather than conservative philosophy, as it seeks “more effective funding and better governance” as well as “fixing overcrowded schools and ageing infrastructure”. 

Hanson also pushed for, and achieved, a “full review of the teacher-shortage crisis”. This will be conducted by the ACT government.

Mark Parton has been pursuing social-housing issues. Addressing shortages of public housing and homelessness is a huge challenge for governments around Australia. Parton’s claim is that it was the pressure of the Liberals that has resulted in an increase in spending on housing by $80 million.

Exposing poor expenditure by the Government has been important for the Liberals. Mark Parton managed to get the Minister for Housing to concede that millions of dollars from the sale of public housing has been diverted into supporting the light rail development. 

And this at a time of such great need in the ACT. Housing Minister Yvette Berry is denying the accusations. However, as Jon Stanhope and Khalid Ahmed explained in “CityNews” in mid-September, the shift in funding was real. Denial is simply smoke and mirrors.

Closely aligned in social need are the counselling services needed for vulnerable children and youth. This is an area where Elizabeth Kikkert has been active and claims to have been effective. The focus of the Liberals on social issues certainly suggests a move away from the conservative approach of the previous assemblies.

In bringing about change, the Liberals have also sought greater transparency in government dealings. Lee has introduced a Freedom of Information Bill to create a proactive disclosure provision for the government to publicly release records within 30 business days after cabinet consideration. It will be interesting to see if it remains if the Liberals are ever in the position to win government.

Transitioning away from the former party position that expressed pride in being conservative certainly increases the Canberra Liberals’ chances of forming government. The real question is whether they are able to put behind them the conservative influence of former senator Zed Seselja and once opposition leader Alistair Coe. 

Taking on the developers is not what one would expect from the Liberal Party. In this respect, Peter Cain showed he can give community needs a priority. His move to protect “off-the-plan” purchasers by introducing legislation to prevent unfair and unreasonable contract rescissions by developers is one such move. He has also fought to retain a green-waste facility for his constituents in Belconnen.

In a similar vein, Leanne Castley has worked to ensure action on the Gungahlin pool while in Tuggeranong, and Nicole Lawder has managed to get tri-partisan support on a motion that she put to the Assembly to improve amenities around Lake Tuggeranong. These sorts of actions illustrate the importance of day-to-day politics in looking after local constituencies.

On the health front, the Liberals have ensured the inclusion of dementia-friendly design in the age-friendly city plan and received a commitment from government to an independent inquiry into the Dhulwa Mental Health Unit following hundreds of cases of occupational violence.

Canberra has been considered by many as a “Labor city”. However, as Kate Carnell demonstrated in the latter half of the 1990s – a Liberal Party, that is not a conservative party, does have a real chance of taking on government. There are two more years for the Canberra Liberals to show what they can do.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.