The following is a potted history of government in the ACT. 1890s: Constitutional conventions and NSW and Victorian politicians argue about whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the capital of the new Australia. Compromise is a separate capital in a federal territory within NSW but greater than 100 miles (160km) from Sydney. 1900: Constitution of Australia Act passes the British Parliament. Section 125 says the federal territory shall be greater than 100 square miles and shall be “”vested in the Commonwealth”. Section 120 gives the Commonwealth parliament power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of territories. 1911: Seat of Government Act creates the territory. All existing NSW law is brought over as at that date. New law is created by Ordinances approved by the Minister for Territories with the formal stamp of the Governor-General. 1930: Advisory Council set up: three department heads; three elected members and civic administrator.
1949: Cole report suggests municipal government for Canberra. 1949: ACT gets seat in Federal House of Representatives, initially only to have vote on ACT matters. Dr L. Nott elected. Jim Fraser elected in 1951. 1958: National Capital Development Commission set up _ anecdotally “”rules” Canberra through leasing and planning requirements. 1966: Full voting rights for Federal MP (Jim Fraser). 1967: Advisory Council, chaired by Jim Pead (Ind), by now fully elected seeks greater power. Council consists of 3 ALP, 3 Ind, 2 Lib, 1 True Whig, setting a three-decade pattern for Canberrans to vote independent and zany in greater or equal proportion to each of the major parties. 1969: All members of Advisory Council resign over three major decisions by Federal Territories Minister Peter Nixon. Nixon accepts resignations a reappoints all to an interim council to serve out the term till 1970.
1970: Law Reform Commission set up to tidy up remnant English and NSW statute law still in force. Commission delivers list of laws and recommendations promptly. Federal Government takes 13 years to deal with them. 1970: New Advisory Council: 4 Ind, 3 Lab and True Whig Alan Fitzgerald is re-elected as Australian Party candidate. 1971: Gorton Government abolishes land rent. 1973: ALP Member for Canberra Kep Enderby is appointed Minister for Territories in charge of ACT. Defers Advisory Council election pending changes to give it greater power. Minister and council differ over rates, child care. Enderby taken out of hot-seat Ministry as local unpopularity increases. (He loses seat in 1975 to Liberal John Haslem.) Oct 1973: New Minister Gordon Bryant says ACT to have self-govt within a year. 1974: Widespread debate on self-govt, including parliamentary committee.
Advisory Council’s term extended without election until self-govt. Second MHR for the ACT. Sept 1974: Advisory Council abolished and replaced by Act Legislative Assembly: 7 Libs; 4 ALP; 2 Australia Party; 5 Inds. 1975: Parliamentary committee recommends self-govt. Land becomes the big issue. Two senators for ACT (Susan Ryan ALP and John Knight Liberal). Bryant calls for transfer of municipal functions in a year. 1977: Minister Tony Staley (Liberal) proposes self-govt model with wide powers to the Assembly except land. November 27, 1978: referendum on self-govt. 63.5 against; 31.1 for; 5.4 want local government, 1.6 informal. Self-govt goes on the back-burner until Labor re-elected federally in 1983.
1984: Task force on self-govt reports. Suggests three five-member electorates and wide Assembly powers. 1985: Business group CARD announces support for self-govt. 1985: Another Assembly term extended (till mid-1986) pending self-govt. 1986: Electoral system becomes key issue. Democrats will block legislation in Senate unless electoral system is proportional. June 1986: Assembly term expires and is not replaced. Two years of federal argument (mainly over the electoral system) on self-govt. 29 November, 1988: Legislation passes Federal Parliament for 17-seat Assembly with wide powers and fixed three-year terms. 4 march 1989: First election under modified d’Hondt system with ACT as a single electorate. Result: Labor 5; Liberal 4; Residents Rally 4; No Self-Government 3; Abolish Self-Government 1. Labor’s Rosemary Follett elected Chief Minister.
1989: No-confidence in Follett Government passed. Liberals’ Trevor Kaine becomes Chief Minister heading an Alliance Government with Residents’ Rally and “”No-Self-Government”. Michael Moore leaves the Rally becomes independent on cross-bench. 1992: Second election. Labor 8; Liberal 6; Independents Moore and Szuty; Abolish Self-Government Dennis Stevenson. Hare-Clark electoral system approved by 65 per cent in an advisory referendum. 1992-95: Separate ACT Public Service with separate legislation and Independent ACT Electoral Commission set up. Electorate Act provides for Hare-Clark system with three electorates. Tomorrow: Third election. Referendum to entrench Hare-Clark. No anti-self-govt candidates stand.