Opposition Leader Alistair Coe is looking for a miracle to win the next act election reports “Seven Days” columnist MIKE WELSH.

A YEAR out from the next election, ACT Opposition Leader Alistair Coe has candidly confessed it will take a miracle to loosen Labor’s almost two-decade grip on power in the capital. 

Miracles aside, all the party needs is to appoint Mark Parton as leader. The former radio man is ready made for the role, principally because he is the exact opposite of the string of dry, beige, awkward Canberra Liberal leaders who have spectacularly failed to pressure successive Labor governments. 

He is genuinely enthusiastic about politics, people like and respond to him and, tellingly, he’s had a career outside politics endowing him with that rare but essential gift – the common touch.

STILL on ACT political change, some things seemingly never change. The promotion of edgy social policy – voluntary euthanasia, same-sex marriage, pill testing and now decriminalisation of marijuana – is almost always met with bluster from the opposition, which quickly vows to repeal any new laws should it win office. And then the Commonwealth tosses a spanner in the works.

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter warned his ACT counterpart Gordon Ramsay: “The ACT laws removed the criminal component at a territory level but didn’t establish anything that is a positive right to possess, which means there’s no defence to the Commonwealth law that criminalises amounts under 50 grams”. To clarify, Porter said: “So my advice and the advice I’ve provided to the ACT Attorney-General is that it is still against the law of the Commonwealth to possess cannabis in the ACT.” 

RESIDENTS of a Kambah street have taken halloween to a whole new level. Ammon Place is now a creepy cul de sac after being “unofficially” renamed Dead End. Almost half the houses are now adorned with cobwebs, skeletons and tombstones.

CANBERRA raised sports journalist Erin Molan helped create broadcasting history at the 2019 commercial radio awards. The former “Footy Show” anchor and her 2GB weekend co host Natalie Peters, won the ACRA for Best On Air Team (AM), becoming the first women to do so. The industry site radioinfo.com.au described the achievement as a “pivotal moment in Australian talk radio history”.

ANOTHER gong handed out at radio’s night of nights has created a potentially awkward situation for Capital Radio, operators of 2CC. Former breakfast host Tim Shaw, no longer with the station after being shunted for Alan Jones, was crowned Best Talk presenter (provincial).

STILL on the airwaves and two Canberra hip-hop artists have landed the plumb Triple J breakfast gig. Sally Coleman and Erica Mallett, who both attended Alfred Deakin High, make up the duo Coda Conduct and will take over the national early morning slot in 2020. For the uninitiated the duo’s instagram account describes them as “Sally and Erica. Dope rappin’, Joke crackin’, toe taggin’ hunnies”.

A GIANT inflated swan swept away in high winds on West Basin recently highlights the need for lake users to respect the waterway. Thankfully, the youngsters on board were all wearing life vests and were able to swim back to shore.

ONE of the genuine nice guys of political journalism has been promoted within the Canberra Bubble. Sky News’ Kieran Gilbert is to become the network’s first chief news anchor and plenty of industry heavyweights have endorsed his elevation to the newly created role. Former ABC breakfast TV host Virginia Trioli tweeted: “So well deserved Kieran, congratulations”, and the ABC’s Middle East correspondent Adam Harvey added his well wishes: “Fantastic to see the good guys winning.”

EITHER the animals of Mitchell are well fed with appalling table manners or there are some disgusting humans acting like animals. On Thursday morning a wide area around a heavy duty car vacuum cleaner at the Aquarius car wash was strewn with chips, greasy fast food wrappers and drink cups, despite there being a large rubbish bin nearby. Footage from recently updated CCTV in the area is sure to reveal the answer.