The Canberra CityNews blog

Gigging Canberra style

Eleri Harris — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:25:20 +0000

Never underestimate the power of promotion in a city where people are more likely to turn out the big numbers for a hometown act than a touring band from interstate.

Petunias: Making Civic infrastructure more interesting since 2009*

Eleri Harris — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:31:05 +0000

It is a sad fact of life that infrastructure is no page turner. It is hard to sell stories detailing inevitably forgotten promises about civic renewal projects, largely because they're full of lofty terminology and because they take years of continued investment to go anywhere.

Question Time in the Legislative Assembly: Now with added insulation

Eleri Harris — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 06:14:24 +0000

Today was all about the installation of insulation in our nation's capital.

ACT Legislative Assembly kicks off: Backseat bogans and the great hospital dilemma

Eleri Harris — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:34:32 +0000

The ACT Legislative Assembly resumed sitting this week with a Gallager healthcare showdown with the Liberal boys on the back seat.

Calvary deal comes unstuck

Eleri Harris — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:07:16 +0000

With the Greens advocating compulsory acquisition of Calvary and the Opposition offering little to no suggestion for Canberra's looming Northern hospital nightmare, the Government is being forced back to the drawing board.

Of Solariums, Turtles and Fudge

Eleri Harris — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:55:09 +0000

Thursday, February 4, 2010 was set to be an excellent day in ACT politics, what with the front page Canberra Times story about the Auditor-General wanting to bypass the Government for funding, not to mention the blue over hospital beds the day before and Labor's flirtation with Latin Americans.

Measuring healthcare = apples and oranges?

Eleri Harris — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:01:36 +0000

The debate over gaping holes in Canberra's healthcare system expanded today with the Canberra Liberals launch of a health discussion paper entitled, "The State of our Health" and the admission by ACT AMA president Dr Paul Jones that the way that healthcare outcomes are measured in Australia might not really kind of, you know, actually be uniform.

Get on the bus

Eleri Harris — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:13:39 +0000

Four years ago the Government killed a plan to build a $115 million busway between Belconnen and Civic. Yesterday they gave the idea new life - claiming it had always remained on the table - the question is, why?

2010 Report on Government Services: Welcome to Pleasantville

Eleri Harris — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:26:37 +0000

The Government say the ACT performed really well, the Opposition say the Government was the worst performing in Australia - how did our nation's capital look in the Productivity Commission's Report on Government Services?

Government counter-attack to defend Calvary deal

Eleri Harris — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:16:12 +0000

ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope whipped out the PR pistols this morning, attacking Liberal MLAs Alistair Coe and Vicki Dunne and the Greens Parliamentary Convener Meredith Hunter for their criticisms of the Calvary hospital deal.