There’s cheers for Emma Campbell, jeers for Housing ACT and news of a long lost, inner-city camping ground (but don’t tell anyone). It’s “Seven Days” with IAN MEIKLE.

IT’S hard not to admire Emma Campbell. I’m a total fanboy and can’t help but cheer on her courage, her compassion and her tireless commitment to battlers, the homeless and the underprivileged people of Canberra. 

As the head of the ACT Council of Social Service, she brings integrity, intelligence and rigour to calling out the injustices meted out on the poor of this community by the Labor/Greens government (of all people).

In this past week she was leading from the front, exposing the shameless ACT Housing’s shabby move to oust 300 tenants – including older people, people with chronic health issues and people with disability – for what?

Reader Klaus commenting on citynews.com.au had no qualms, accusing the government of “evicting over 300 social housing tenants at the same time to indulge their developer mates”.

Dr Campbell was more nuanced, saying: “We do note that many of the properties happen to be located on high-value land,” at the same time pasting the government as “heartless”.

“The fact that properties are built on high-value land that the ACT government wishes to sell should not be a reason to order public housing tenants out of their homes,” she said.

“Many of the individuals involved are highly vulnerable, including people with dementia or complex mental health issues.

“Some of these tenants have lived in their homes for more than 50 years and have invested significant amounts in upkeep and renovation. 

“Some residents are elderly or are people with disabilities and are located close to family and support networks.”

The unwitting tenants received a letter from ACT Housing alerting them to their impending move but, as I understand it, offering no clue as to where they would be going or when. What kind of people write this kind of stuff in our name?

“To send these types of letters, without adequate support in place for tenants, is incredibly callous and cruel,” Emma said, reasonably calling on Housing Minister Yvette Berry and ACT Housing to immediately review the program and resource independent legal and advocacy services to represent impacted tenants. 

AS one digests the gobsmacking cost of $2 million and rising for the local plod to keep watch over the anti-vaccine mandate marchers of last month, one’s thoughts might drift to camping. 

ACT chief officer Neil Gaughan says policing efforts had cost $1.9 million so far and rising, with demonstrations expected each weekend in the lead up to the federal Budget on March 29.

He says there are 500 flag wavers still in and around Canberra. Given their propensity for camping (moved on from the Parliamentary Triangle, evicted from EPIC, arrested at Cotter), I’m loath to share the following information, but if I use enough big words the secret should stay safe. 

I got this sardonic missive from an inner-north snout, given to rambling (walking, not talking): “Gosh, just think how exciting it would be if the Convoy to Canberra nutters decided not to make the long trek to Caloola Farm and instead opted to establish at this little known, free southside spot.”

Attached was the map to and photo of an official brown sign from the “Yarralumla campsite area”. Who knew? “Another Canberra sign left to rot from a past era,” he sniffed. A website check revealed none of its history. 

But how could the Convoyers resist an inner-city campsite? He tells me there’s free parking and plenty of opportunity for our distant visitors to forage for blackberries (giant clumps abound) and wild fennel, then bag a “wraskally rabbit” (so many hopping about) for dinner. As nature calls, a dusk skinny dip in the nearby Molonglo, while netting a big carp for breakfast. Hell’s bells, they’ll never want to leave.

Meantime, on behalf of the weary taxpayers of Canberra, chief officer Gaughan is going to arm wrestle the feds for some financial contribution to summer’s never-ending story. 

COLUMNIST Robert Macklin couldn’t resist: “​​Putin’s cretinous behaviour obviously runs in the family – who could forget Uncle Ras?” Boom-tish. 

TO finish, another gem via columnist Clive Williams:

The grand old Duke of York,

He had 12 million quid.

He gave it to someone he never met

For something he never did. 

Ian Meikle is the editor of “CityNews” and can be heard on the “CityNews Sunday Roast” news and interview program, 2CC, 9am-noon.