Very strange events have been unfolding since the local ACT elections in late 2016.

At those elections the Labor party was returned despite many thinking their time was up.

Most of the noise about the local labor government was about their very cosy relationships with developers;  the manner in which redevelopment was being delivered; that the bush capital was slowly being turned into a bland box city along with many other cities; that the current leadership scoffed at anyone who was critical of how his urban agendas were being delivered.

The reality was that the ACT Liberals lost the election badly by being seen as being very aligned to the populist neo-liberal conservative agendas – as portrayed nationally by the likes of Tony Abbott and friends.

As a result of winning the election, the ACT Labor is government has carried on as before with the misplaced perception that it is a popular government. If voters had been presented with a real alternative then I suggest the result would have been different.

I have largely been a Labor voter till recently – being one who still believes in what Labor used to stand for. I do not identify with the behaviour and discourteous nature of the current Labor Government in Canberra (ACT) nor do I align with the manner in which the Chief Minister treats anyone who speaks out against him. Such voices are portrayed by him and his supporters as being negative – rather than seeing alternative views being expressed by so many.

There have been instance recently whereby the government has taken actions to try to silence people who speak out – negative voices are to be silenced.

I know of one person on a residents committee who was targetted; the message was given to the others that unless he was removed, then the government would no longer deal with them. He was removed – or chose to leave given the choice he was given.

There are other example of how this ACT Government works directly and indirectly to shut down debates.

Then there is the case of the Clubs ACT who I agree did silly things during the last ACT elections but that does not justify the Chief Minister’s decision to not deal with them. His reaction –  he helped to set up an alternative organization using his union aligned friends to do so.

This matter is best dealt with in a Canberra Times article by a former Chief Minister who describes this petulant behaviour to being similar to that we see being taken by Donald Trump. I could not agree more. Hence my heading – it is time for new leadership within ACT Labor.

Here’s the Canberra Times article – click here.