KEEPING UP THE ACT
The former treasurer has a telling piece of advice for the incoming treasurer. KEEPING UP THE ACT is back!
Andrew Barr
"Andrew Barr can hardly blame the public service for the budgetary and policy choices he, along with his coalition partners, have made over more than a decade." JON STANHOPE & KHALID AHMED despair at the state of the ACT.
"It’s been a year. One of those. And 2025 looks like the Godzilla in the room for many local and federal pollies." Here's political columnist ANDREW HUGHES' take – locally and federally – on 2024 and ahead to 2025…
KEEPING UP THE ACT gets into the spirit of Christmas with a classic summary of life in Canberra...
Politics
Assembly orders Barr to show and tell on staff ‘secrets’
The Legislative Assembly has ordered the Labor government to publish secret data about how much each ministerial office spends on staffing, following a motion by Opposition Leader Leanne Castley.
Political commentary
Odd choices that are leaving voters perplexed
"The independents, Tom Emerson and Fiona Carrick, said yes to Andrew Barr. So really not so independent... If I'd been them I would have said no." Columnist ANDREW HUGHES says we're in a strange world when it comes to political choices.
Political commentary
Barr’s ‘dictatorship’ ends with the new Assembly
"Every piece of legislation that comes before the Legislative Assembly will be subject to genuine review. The majority of members are not from the government," writes political columnist MICHAEL MOORE.
KEEPING UP THE ACT shares a postcard to the cabinet kids from the Chief Minimalist.
Celebrity couples therapist HARMONY HEARTBREAK shares the heartbreaking transcript of the session when legislative lovers Andrew and Shaney broke up…
After years of deficits, Andrew Barr has finally let go of Treasury, as the chief minister announces his new, Greens-free cabinet.
Meanwhile, Andrew Barr settles down in front of the TV to watch the Canberra Liberals' self-destruction epic, Vote Run 2028.
Political columnist ANDREW HUGHES casts a wide net in summing up his five key findings from the ACT election including whether the Hare-Clark system still works best for Canberra.
Without published polling, its anyone's guess if Labor's Andrew Barr can secure a fourth term as ACT leader or whether the Liberals can end 23 years in exile.
"From his whiskers to his tail, Andy knew that he, and he alone, would become the greatest ruler of his backwards village." KEEPING UP THE ACT shares a fable. Fictional, of course.
"On financial responsibility, improving health, ensuring better education, maintaining basics such as roads, housing and ensuring better standards of living, the Labor-Greens government has not fared well," writes columnist MICHAEL MOORE.
Andrew Barr has failed to take any action to suspend the CFMEU from ACT Labor, leaving him as the only Labor leader in the country not to take action and Elizabeth Lee is pushing him to explain why.
A word from our Divine Seizer Barrus Pompus Maximus: "Hipsters, gypsters and gender betwixters, lend me your ears, along with all your money... "
"Now, I know a lot of local Laborites have had direct CFMEU backing, but having an actual CFMEU employee running for office?" Letter writer ANNE O'DONNELL wonders what's going on with Labor's Kurrajong candidate Aggi Court.
By popular request, Nurse Rach returns to KEEPING UP THE ACT to explain how Labor can keep ignoring indigenous voices.
