Had a chat with a friend with very close ties to the ACT Liberals, I guess what the media would refer to as a ‘senior Liberal source’, who told me that Mr Seselja is in some serious trouble and has lost the support of his fellow Liberal MLA’s.  However, apparently all is not lost as there [...]

2CC is very excited and wants you to know they’ve engaged the services of Jon Stanhope and Kate Carnell to talk about ACT politics.
Former Chief Ministers Jon Stanhope and Kate Carnell have new jobs. From next week they will commence work with 2CC as Political Commentators.
Whilst the ACT election is still seven months away, the [...]

UC is letting us know they’ve conferred an honorary doctorate on former Chief Minister Stanhope.
Professor Stanhope joined the University as a Professorial Fellow within the ANZSOG Institute of Governance in August 2011.
“I am enjoying my new role in academia and playing a part in helping the University of Canberra continue on its path of growth [...]

Every night in America over 200 men and women, dressed in capes, masks, and bullet-proof body armour, walk the streets looking to fight crime and enforce vigilante justice. They confront drug dealers, break up brawls, and occasionally pose for photos with grateful citizens.
Their super powers? Excessive bravery (verging on stupidity) and [...]

The Liberals’ Zed Seselja has announced the results of his FOI digging which show some worrying friction between outgoing planning chief Neil Savery and planning Minister Andrew Barr:

The Chief Planners extraordinary brief to Andrew Barr raises concerns about ongoing and widespread interference in the planning process which went well beyond his concerns about a letter [...]

The ABC has word on Jon Stanhope’s appointment as a professorial fellow at the University of Canberra.
His new role will include teaching, research and giving strategic advice to vice-chancellor Stephen Parker.
Professor Parker says Mr Stanhope brings a wealth of experience to the job.
“His appointment will strengthen our research and education programs in leadership and [...]

The ghost in the shell that is the memory of Chief Minister Stanhope continues to haunt the CM’s website.
Sometimes he returns in full. Sometimes it is in part.
But today, strangest and eeriest of all, we have a segment of Jon Stanhope sticking out of Katy Gallagher’s forehead. (Happy to sign a stat dec that these [...]

The announcement is not due until 1.30,
But Joy Burch has tweeted that Chris Bourke is filling the casual vacancy in Ginninderra left by Jon Stanhope’s resignation.
This makes Chris the first indigenous MLA, a nice step in reconciliation week.

The ghost of Jon Stanhope still haunts the Chief Minister’s website.
Sometimes Jon Stanhope is the Chief Minister, sometimes Katy Gallagher.
Today we’ve seen a strange and frankly disturbing amalagam. (I swear I didn’t ‘shop this)

We had wondered how long the Chief Minister’s website (The Government’s primary mode of communication with the Governed) would continue to feature Jon Stanhope’s head on every single page.
Right now it has this message:
The Chief Minister’s website is currently unavailable due to site maintenance. It will be back online from 5.00pm 18 May 2011. [...]

I heard on the ABC tonight that there are considerations ‘at the appropriate time’ for some type of commemoration to Stanhope and his contribution to the ACT for the past 10 years.
Ideas have included a ‘statue’, a suburb being named after him, renaming the forrest that he built, etc, etc.
I have some issues over a [...]

The Mully Cup is awarded to the individual who has inspired a noteworthy volume of comment on this site.
As the news dawns on us that Jon Stanhope is no longer the Chief Minister we have no higher honour to confer than this prestigious award.

The Beast has been explaining that Jon Stanhope has resigned as Chief Minister as of midnight, a few days earlier than expected.
Katy Gallagher is now acting Chief Minister pending a vote of the Legislative Assembly.

The Liberals Brendan Smyth is furious with the Greens for greenlighting the Ascension of Katy Gallagher to the Stanhopian throne:
“This is simply the latest action taken by a Greens Party that makes a lie of their so called ‘third party insurance.’ They are the far left branch of the Labor Party, no matter how little [...]

Canberra media today is awash with pole smokers and spite filled turds all trying to paint Jon Stanhope as either the reincarnation of John Curtin or Ethelred the Unready.
As 95% of the Canberra population doesn’t actually buy into local politics these perspectives aren’t much help.
So let’s try something more measured.
I met a traveller from an [...]

We’ll update these as they come in.
First off the rank is The University of Canberra’s VC Stephen Parker:
I think it is appropriate that I thank Jon Stanhope for his service to the Territory as Chief Minister. In my 4 years as Vice-Chancellor he has shown a real and continuing interest in the fortunes [...]

Having not yet mastered being in two places at once it’s been with a heavy heart that I’ve decided to listen to the press conference on the radio.
Here are the major points:
11:06: Approaching the podium and starting.
11:07: Labor Caucus on Friday to decide leader, Stanhope nominating Katy Gallagher.
11:08: Human rights, removal of discrimination his highlights.
11:12: [...]

There are rumours circulating that Jon Stanhope is about to resign.
He’s holding a press conference at 11. We’ll let you know.
UPDATE: The Canberra Times is saying it’s over.
FURTHER UPDATE: ABC Radio is reporting the Chief Minister’s office has confirmed the rumours. Katy Gallagher to take over.
[Photo from September 2008]

The Canberra Times has a classic chiefly tanty. It follows dissent by Labor Senator Steve Hutchins from the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee report which green lighted the Greens’ Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Amendment (Disallowance and Amendment Power of the Commonwealth) Bill 2010.
Senator Steve Hutchins’ dismissal of the ACT and the Northern [...]

The Beast has been celebrating today as Jon Stanhope’s 60th birthday.
Apparently he’s feeling chipper and good for another 10 years.
Aside from millions in commonwealth funding for his arboretum what gifts are you hoping he gets today?

Liberal Leader Zed Seselja (scarce believing his luck) has (with great haste by the slow moving standards of his office) seized Chief Minister Stanhope’s bizarre Ceausescu moment of complete misjudgment of his audience.
“The Government should be in the final deliberations for the budget, and Jon Stanhope is clearly sending the message to the community that [...]

From the Canberra Times”
Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has labelled people opposed to public art as ”rednecks” and ”philistines” as the Government gears up for another costly installation.
A development application has been lodged for new public art on the corner of Rudd and Moore streets in Civic, outlining two pieces called Blue Sky Shard and Magenta [...]

The Canberra Times is running hard with Chiefly musings that perhaps his government would do a better job looking after Lake Burley Griffin than the National Capital Authority.
Because the ACT Government is doing such a better job at Lake Tuggernong?

[Photo by Gerry-Built]

From Fidel Castro to to The Economist magazine there’s a broad consensus that biofuels are a terrible thing, consuming food from the global market in exchange for a small green fuzzy, and perhaps a stealthy agriculture subsidy.
So of course here in Canberra that’s a bandwagon we’re keen to jump on.
Chief Minister Stanhope has announced SITA [...]

Yesterday Simon Corbell announced his intention to make sure that retiring MLA’s can be replaced by the party’s anointed rather than anyone the public might have voted for.
At the time of writing this is very unpopular with our poll respondents.
This morning the Liberals’ Zed Seselja is asking if this is paving the way for the [...]

Chief Minister Stanhope has proudly announced that Jimmy Barnes has planted a flame tree at the arboretum:
The Flame tree or Brachychiton acerifolius grows to 15 metres in height and is considered one of Australia’s most spectacular flowering trees.
The species was made famous by Jimmy Barnes in Cold Chisel’s 1984 hit song ‘Flame Trees’ – a [...]

Chief Minister Stanhope has announced a study into sorting out the ever more congested Northbourne Avenue.
He seems to be leaning towards a major bus station (and one imagines car park) in Dickson to shuttle people into the City.
Consulting firm URS has been appointed to conduct the study, which will cover the section of Northbourne Avenue [...]

Chief Minister Stanhope is proudly reporting that 10,000 public transport enthusiasts have already grabbed themselves a MyWay card. That’s on top of the seniors’ rollout.
He’s also got some explanation of there it’s all up to:
“To make the process even easier, pre-loaded standard adult MyWay cards with $20 worth of travel are also available from most [...]

Chief Minister Stanhope has announced an exciting new signature to his autograph collection.
No, wait, it’s another tree planted at the arboretum, this time by former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser.
It had been previously thought that Mr Stanhope hated all Liberals. But a Liberal who leaves the Liberal party can be forgiven much one imagines.
Speaking at today’s [...]

[ 7 March, 2011; 11:00 am; ] Chief Minister Stanhope is letting us know that on top of luring a string of foreign dignitaries to his arboretum he’s now be able to star spot with some sportspeople:

Mr Stanhope said he was delighted that Mal Meninga, Lauren Jackson, Robert De Castella, and David Campese had agreed to attend the special tree planting [...]

Chief Minister Stanhope has the thrilling news that he’s got another autograph, or rather the Mongolian Prime Minister, Mr Sukhbaatar Batbold, has planted a Siberian elm in the arboretum.
The medium-sized tree is native to northern Mongolia and other parts of Central Asian where it can live to 150 years.
Speaking at today’s ceremony, Mr Stanhope said [...]

Chief Minister Stanhope is celebrating the graduation of a whole eight (YES! EIGHT!) bus drivers from their arduous training course.
“I am pleased to announce the graduation of these new ACTION bus drivers,” Mr Stanhope said.
“We now have an additional seven males and one female joining our ACTION team as a result of the October 2010 [...]