Federal Parliament

ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries writes: Ever since polling day, we've all known that the 43rd parliament was certainly going to be an interesting one,...

Rob Oakeshott must be an independent because he cannot count, writes Canberra legal identity Ric Lucas.

Finally the nation can breathe out, we have a Government. No need to fear dissent into Somalia-like anarchy or start looking for Mad Max. There is someone in charge and her name is Julia.

Having left the baffling chaos of the tally room I'd been hoping to get a sense of clarity from the parties. What had just happened? What will happen? Who is leading our country?

It's 8.22pm on election night and the Tally room is a crazy busy, fluro lit, noisy pointing clapping chaos with politicians and cameras and AEC tech heads running and writing and filming and screaming and drinking beer from plastic cups.

The increasing use of personal profiling for politicians has led to something of a spiritual split down ACT candidate lines for the Federal election.

Pouring rain + Federal Election + 4 out of 8 candidates & Ross Solly ÷ Eden Monaro = 2.5 hours of propagating, pandering, psychotic pandemonium (of the variety only possible in NSW)

Before the 2010 Australian Federal election even started the media was going nuts with the phrase "Twitter Election" saying the social media site was going to change everything. But, as ZDnet's Darryl Adams pointed out, Twitter hasn't changed the political game, it's just changed the way political processes are analysed and viewed.

I've got to hand it to ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries, he went into the lion's den and survived today at the Community and Public Sector Union's ACT Senator debate.

Over the weekend former ACT Greens candidate, events co-ordinator, Canberra circus performer and local personality Elena Kirschbaum held what can only be described as the most fun I have ever had in my life. Or, in layman's terms, a Pirate Treasure Hunt in Civic.

This morning in the see-your-breath cold Canberra sunshine the Press Gallery pack descended upon Glebe Park, hunting Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, who was attending a meet-the-mental-healthcare-providers morning tea.

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, Federal Minister for Housing Tanya Plibersek and ANU Vice Chancellor Ian Chubb today announced that the university's application for National Rental Affordibility Scheme was a success and as a result it would build accomodation for 1023 students on City West land supplied by the Territory. But at $225 a week for one room, it's unlikely students needing "affordable" housing will be able to live there.

Banners in hands, braving the cold, some 300 Canberrans (men and women) gathered outside the Legislative Assembly in Civic today to protest pay inequity in the community sector.

Normally the candidates are nominated and deals done in advance so the voting process is all a bit of a sham, but yesterday "Canberra Times" reporter Chris Johnson warned of a rank and file uprising against the capital's would be king-makers.

With significant political events occurring left, right and centre, Canberra is positively oozing with wonk as bureaucrats, media types and party hacks get their geek on all over the shop.