Statement by Chief Minister Katy Gallagher MLA

Masquara said :

rommeldog56 said :

Still, I recall an interview with Katy G a while ago where she said she wasn’t going anywhere, that she loved her job as Chief Minister, etc, – but things change.

She said that about a month ago! This must have come up after Lundy’s announcement.

People in Melbourne made the decisions. The factions are alive and well. Stanhope won’t be happy.

rommeldog56 said :

Still, I recall an interview with Katy G a while ago where she said she wasn’t going anywhere, that she loved her job as Chief Minister, etc, – but things change.

She said that about a month ago! This must have come up after Lundy’s announcement.

Has Breanna Heseltine congratulated her? : ]

miz said :

I think Ms Gallagher is a canny politician who wants to keep working. She can see the writing on the wall in the local sphere due to the light rail, and took an available opportunity to secure her job (though clearly one with far less influence).
I was never impressed with Ms Gallagher, particularly the ongoing Health debacles, but then I was never impressed with Ms Lundy either so no difference there IMO.

Agreed. Will be interesting to see the fallout from Zed and Katy (both of who seemed to have strong personal followings in the last ACT election) leaving on the 2016 ACT election + the new electorial boundries/additional MLAs, pans out.

Maya123 said :

rommeldog56 said :

Why is it so…….

That when Zed S took up a spot in the Seante for the Lib’s there were cries by people and the ACT Gov’t that he “abandoned” the voters in Canberra – though this was shortly after the last ACT election.

But Katy G has not ?????

At the end of the day – they are both following their own self interests – no matter how they present their reasons for leaving.

Come on, I can’t believe someone would make that comparison.

The difference is that Zed ‘stabbed’ Gary Humphries in the back. Kate has not done similar.

What I was trying to point out – obviously not clearly enough – is that they both left. Politicians will usually act in their own self interest.

I wasn’t commenting on how they did it – though I accept that how Zed got there was disillusioning in the extreme and that maybe why the outcry.

Still, I recall an interview with Katy G a while ago where she said she wasn’t going anywhere, that she loved her job as Chief Minister, etc, – but things change.

banco said :

The fawning over her in the canberra times is embarrassing.

Did you expect anything different from the Labor/Greens mouthpiece? The entire Fairfax print media is a complete joke. They are more partisan than The Australian, if you can believe it.

I think Ms Gallagher is a canny politician who wants to keep working. She can see the writing on the wall in the local sphere due to the light rail, and took an available opportunity to secure her job (though clearly one with far less influence).
I was never impressed with Ms Gallagher, particularly the ongoing Health debacles, but then I was never impressed with Ms Lundy either so no difference there IMO.

Top work Katy, what a great Chief Minister. Streets ahead of Stanhope, IMHO. A loss for us locally, but I am very excited about the fact that that she’ll almost certainly massively increase the ALP vote in the Senate at the next election, thus sending a few extra preferences towards whoever the Greens put up. (Hopefully Simon Sheikh again, he’d be good.)

At any rate, I care less about who the Greens put and more about the possibility that Zed won’t win his seat again. His performance, never mind demeanor, has been appalling. And deposing Gary Humphries, an excellent old school Lib and advocate for C Town, makes him worthy of being ousted from the Senate regardless of all else.

The fawning over her in the canberra times is embarrassing.

MERC600 said :

Aren’t we a little quick off the mark here by installing our Kate. Surely the factions will hammer out who gets the vacancy.

Not according to Chris Kimbell of ABC 7.30 who greeted Gallagher as “Senator Elect for the ACT” when he interviewed her at what seemed to be a televised monthly meeting of the ALP Dairy Farmers Hill branch.
Isn’t the next ACT Senate election up to 2 years away? What is Gallagher going to do in the meantime?

Please Bill; not shadow minister for Health or Treasury or anything else that Australians depend on for quality of life.

If this means that the next ACT election will be more about policies – the details and merits thereof – and less about personalities, that will be a fine thing for democracy and public administration in this town.

Katy’s move to the Senate will be a plus for federal Labor. Right now, they’re doing well in the polls, but they are somewhat depleted as a result of all the departures during and following the Rudd-Gillard battles. The addition of someone with extensive experience in government at a sub-national level should be helpful, and I hope they make good use of her insights and perspectives.

Let me start by saying I think that Ms. Gallagher will be a fantastic replacement for Kate Lundy and a good voice for the people of the ACT. She has been a great CM and I think she’ll do a great job as a senator.

But I do have a technical/procedural question: Under the rules of a senate casual vacancy, did she choose her next job?

As far as I can read it, the ACT Legislative Assembly hasn’t sat since the 19th November, so does that mean (under section 44 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918), that Ms. Gallagher chose herself to be Kate Lundy’s replacement? From what I can tell, outside the Legislative Assembly sitting, the Chief Minister chooses the replacement (and the only official limitation I can see under the rules is that the senator must be from the same party as the retiring senator (1977)).

As I said – I think Ms. Gallagher will be great for the ACT, but I am curious how this works from a technical point of view. Anyone know?

Barr as Chief Minister? God help us. As someone else commented, the talent pool is terrifyingly shallow.

I too am surprised Katy took this path … an ACT federal politician is about as useful as one of Abbott’s barnacles. Maybe she is just looking for an easier life.

Thevoiceofchoice said :
This is so sad for the ACT. As Chief Minister she actually got things moving.

+2

However the disaster of the Light Rail proposal needs to go. Soon.

rommeldog56 said :

Why is it so…….

That when Zed S took up a spot in the Seante for the Lib’s there were cries by people and the ACT Gov’t that he “abandoned” the voters in Canberra – though this was shortly after the last ACT election….

I think the outcry was primarily from Liberal supporters and it was more to do with the way he got his spot, rather than the fact he was pursuing greener pastures.

bd84 said :

interesting.. Should be enough to kill off labor’s chances at the next ACT election given the lack of popularity of most other members who scraped in by the skin of their teeth.

Well Zed has gone for the Liberals as well and its 5 seats of 5 for the first time. Given there has only ever been one majority government in the ACT ever and that was Labor, the lack of right and centre independents or other parties who could get elected to support a minority Liberal government, I don’t think its a shoe in for liberal either. Plus the ACT election may be very close to the federal election and while I tend to vote separately for ACT and federal elections, many do not and vote the same party regardless. So if the federal Libs continue to push extreme right wing policy rather than something more moderate right, they may also hinder local liberals chances.

Not like there are any characters on either side of local politics. Jeremy Hanson isn’t exactly setting the world on fire. His arguments are pretty average and mundane.

rommeldog56 said :

Why is it so…….

That when Zed S took up a spot in the Seante for the Lib’s there were cries by people and the ACT Gov’t that he “abandoned” the voters in Canberra – though this was shortly after the last ACT election.

But Katy G has not ?????

At the end of the day – they are both following their own self interests – no matter how they present their reasons for leaving.

Well Zed did it straight away plus challenged a respected sitting member. Certainly looked like he was a sore loser after the last ACT election and decided to go for something bigger. I felt like he abandoned the ACT. He also moved electorates in an effort to pull in the third quota down here in tuggers which he did. I wonder if he didn’t stand whether they’d have got the third quota?

Katy was asked, because the sitting senator is resigning. Big difference if you ask me.

I didn’t think she was a good choice for Chief Minister at first, but she has proved me wrong. Especially with the Mr Fluffy issue – good to see a pollie step up to take responsibility for finishing a long-running problem, not just passing it on to a future generation.

rommeldog56 said :

Why is it so…….

That when Zed S took up a spot in the Seante for the Lib’s there were cries by people and the ACT Gov’t that he “abandoned” the voters in Canberra – though this was shortly after the last ACT election.

But Katy G has not ?????

At the end of the day – they are both following their own self interests – no matter how they present their reasons for leaving.

Because when it comes to Labor, it’s “do as we say, not as we do”.

I shudder at the thought of the treasurer taking her place as Chief Minister.

another Bob Carr trick , see ya later parasite

rommeldog56 said :

Why is it so…….

That when Zed S took up a spot in the Seante for the Lib’s there were cries by people and the ACT Gov’t that he “abandoned” the voters in Canberra – though this was shortly after the last ACT election.

But Katy G has not ?????

At the end of the day – they are both following their own self interests – no matter how they present their reasons for leaving.

I think you answered your own question. I’m not a fan of Labor, but Zed did leave his electorate right after the election and cared not a jot for either Tuggers or Canberra. He still treats Canberrans with the same disrespect as a senator and is barely of any use. And what’s more, even Tony didn’t actually want him when it came to it, but had no choice.

I didn’t vote Labor at the last Federal election but I damn well made sure the Libs didn’t get my vote because of Zed.

rommeldog56 said :

Why is it so…….

That when Zed S took up a spot in the Seante for the Lib’s there were cries by people and the ACT Gov’t that he “abandoned” the voters in Canberra – though this was shortly after the last ACT election.

But Katy G has not ?????

At the end of the day – they are both following their own self interests – no matter how they present their reasons for leaving.

Come on, I can’t believe someone would make that comparison.

The difference is that Zed ‘stabbed’ Gary Humphries in the back. Kate has not done similar.

GrumpyMark said :

Given the lack of influence our ACT elected representatives have at a federal level, this seems a somewhat strange decision from Katy Gallagher, as she will go from being a ‘mover and shaker’ in a relatively small pond to just another vote in the Labor party machinery.

PS Before anyone pegs me as a Labor staffer or pr spin doctor, I have no allegiance to any party, I simply recognise someone who has tried her hardest to make a difference in a very much thankless role.

I expects that she believes she will be a Cabinet Minister in less than 2 years time. About 60% of Australian would probably agree with her at this stage.

rommeldog56 said :

Why is it so…….

That when Zed S took up a spot in the Seante for the Lib’s there were cries by people and the ACT Gov’t that he “abandoned” the voters in Canberra – though this was shortly after the last ACT election.

But Katy G has not ?????

At the end of the day – they are both following their own self interests – no matter how they present their reasons for leaving.

The difference is pretty stark if you care to look and engage your critical thinking. (Not your strong point, herp derp tripling of rates, I know)

Zed Seselja:

Went to the local election as the opposition leader, claiming that he was the man to lead the Territory into a brighter future and that he had switched electorates so as to better benefit his local people. Said he would see out the full term if elected.

Almost immediately after the loss of the election, despite getting elected himself, made a brutal, bloody play for the top spot on the Liberals ACT Senate ticket, bidding to oust the current longstanding Liberal Senator who hadn’t done anything wrong by the party. No need to recap the fight, but it was not the Liberals finest hour and did a fair bit of internal damage to the party which it is trying to recover from. During the pre-selection battle Mr Seselja continued to pick up his cheques as a member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and did not resign until he had been guaranteed the top spot some months after the battle began.

Net result. Liberals still have the same number of Senators in the ACT, Zed got a payrise and has barely been heard from on the national stage at all. Liberal party recovering from founds of fight. ACT taxpayers paid Mr Seselja a wage for a number of months after he had announced his intention to run as a Senator because he refused to resign while in full knowledge of his intention to abandon his constituent. New comer to ACT Liberals in legislative assembly who I can’t even recall.

Katy Gallagher:

Went to the local election as the incumbent Chief Minister and remained that way for a bit over half her term. Made no indications at all about an intention to join the Senate at any stage prior to todays announcement.

Kate Lundy officially announced what had been well known for a fair while. That after 19 years in the Senate she did not plan to contest the next federal election.

After that announcement, Ms Gallagher was approached by Federal Labor figures about the possibility of running for the Senate in the ACT at the next federal election.

Despite the next federal and territory elections not being likely to occur until 2016 and with Labor having a sitting Senator until the writs for the next election are announced, Ms Gallagher chose to resign from her position as Chief Minister once she made her intentions to contest pre-selection clear.

Net result. Labor appear to have a clear transition for the ACT Senate seat, pending pre-selection. No blood was spilt as Lundy was retiring. The Labor party will go to the next territory election with a leader who has been in the role of Chief Minister for a period of time to gain experience, rather than a new leader straight before an election which is risky. Ms Gallagher does not continue to pick up a cheque from ACT taxpayers while not intending to represent them in the role that wage is for.

rommeldog56 said :

Why is it so…….

That when Zed S took up a spot in the Seante for the Lib’s there were cries by people and the ACT Gov’t that he “abandoned” the voters in Canberra – though this was shortly after the last ACT election.

But Katy G has not ?????

At the end of the day – they are both following their own self interests – no matter how they present their reasons for leaving.

The lefties on this blog won’t be lining up to answer that one.

crappicker said :

Thanks Katy, you are wonderful.

Wonderful ? Don’t confuse articulation and projection of self with achievement. On that front :

1) The mess the ACT public hospital system appears to be in.
2) Continual degredation of municipal services.
3) What seems to be a looming debacle over the ACT Govt rules for Mr fluffy compo.
4) Tripling of Annual Rates.
5) Light Rail.
6) Many more MLAs and associated cost to Ratepayers.
7) ACT budget deeply in the red and getting much worse.
8) Blow outs in infrastructure project costs.
9) More Public Private Partnerships creating a fiscal drain for decades to come.
…..etc. What have I missed ?

What a “wonderful” legacy to leave ! Sounds more like rats leaving a sinking ship to me.

I only hope that a new Chief Minister will scrap the Light Rail in the hope that it Labor/Greens back in the race to retain Government at the 2016 ACT elections. But the thought of the ACT lib’s gaining power is probably just as depressing i suppose.

Maya123 said :

Thevoiceofchoice said :

This is so sad for the ACT. As Chief Minister she actually got things moving. I am hoping the light rail goes ahead as planned.

+1

I think it is far too early to declare a dividend.

Could she take light rail with her? Please?

Why is it so…….

That when Zed S took up a spot in the Seante for the Lib’s there were cries by people and the ACT Gov’t that he “abandoned” the voters in Canberra – though this was shortly after the last ACT election.

But Katy G has not ?????

At the end of the day – they are both following their own self interests – no matter how they present their reasons for leaving.

Aren’t we a little quick off the mark here by installing our Kate. Surely the factions will hammer out who gets the vacancy.

Given the lack of influence our ACT elected representatives have at a federal level, this seems a somewhat strange decision from Katy Gallagher, as she will go from being a ‘mover and shaker’ in a relatively small pond to just another vote in the Labor party machinery.

I don’t doubt that Katy honestly believes that with her experience, skills and personal qualities she will be able to make a valuable contribution on behalf of the ACT. However, as we all know she will be first and foremost a Labor politician with expectations that she will vote along party lines otherwise she will have no future in that dog-eat-dog environment. After all, other than Gary Humphrey on the “the Federal Government’s ban on the ACT’s civil unions law” (which was always going to be a futile exercise) how many other ACT politicians have crossed the floor to vote against their party to serve the ACT’s interests?

Nevertheless, I would hope Katy Gallagher’s contribution to the ACT is long remembered as she takes her place as one of the (arguably THE) best Chief Ministers the territory has seen.

PS Before anyone pegs me as a Labor staffer or pr spin doctor, I have no allegiance to any party, I simply recognise someone who has tried her hardest to make a difference in a very much thankless role.

Thevoiceofchoice said :

This is so sad for the ACT. As Chief Minister she actually got things moving. I am hoping the light rail goes ahead as planned.

+1

What a shame!

Ms Gallagher is the only local politician from the two major parties with sufficient enough balance of common sense and compassion to lead us where we need to go as a community. I fear the implications of this development in the immediate future. The talent pool isn’t exactly deep.

Who will be Health Minister is nearly as depressing a question as who will be Chief.

Thanks Katy, you are wonderful.

The captain of the Costa Concordia told his manslaughter trial recently his decision to jump ship while passengers were left on board was affected by gravity. Katy’s decision to do the same is affected by a sense of gravitas.

This is so sad for the ACT. As Chief Minister she actually got things moving. I am hoping the light rail goes ahead as planned.

Barr or Corbell?

It’s like trying to choose your favourite form of flesh eating virus

I’m not a fan of Labor at all, but I think that Katy did a pretty good job given the cards she was dealt. The light rail will, of course, be a disaster but other than that I think she did OK and will be missed.

Be interesting to see who replaces her, and how the next election pans out. Like the next federal election, I’m tipping a race to the bottom, with well qualified and sensible independents doing well.

As much as I cannot stand the ‘Fabian Socialist Collective’, Katy seemed like a decent honest person. The ‘opposition’ are talentless.
‘We are the dead’

interesting.. Should be enough to kill off labor’s chances at the next ACT election given the lack of popularity of most other members who scraped in by the skin of their teeth.