Crispin Hull

ACT Ministers and staff had overspent their Budget and were setting a poor example to other departments, according to Opposition Leader Kate Carnell.

She said the Budget for Ministers and staff had over-spent by $136,000, a 10 per cent over-spending in the Government Executive which set a poor example to departments which were required to make 2 or 3 per cent across-the-board savings.

The Chief Minister, Rosemary Follett, said the spending was due to pay rises, extra costs in moving to the new Assembly building and the employment in her office of an extra staffer who had come from the office of former Sports Minister Wayne Berry when “”the Liberals ousted him”.
Continue reading “1994_10_october_estimate”

The storn abates enough to get out the camera: Jack Thurgar and Toni O’Neill ride the gentler waves.

Neg 32 and 33: The kayaks attract interest from locals and yachties at Tilos harbour.

Film XIII

Neg 30: Deserted residence at Embereios village on Niseros.
Continue reading “1994_10_october_blines”

Turkish authorities are clear-felling the pine trees at the Anzac site on the Gallipoli peninsula following the mid-year bushfire there, leaving remaining trench formations exposed to erosion as the summer dry ends.

The fire affected 5000 hectares. Workers are now clear-felling the pines, including many that survived the fire, from Anzac Cove on the coast up past the Lone Pine Memorial to the high point where the Australians reached in April 1915. The exposed site makes it easy for scavenging and bottles, shells and bones are easily found.

Australia is in no position to object to the logging, but is exploring ways of helping the Turks with reafforestation, according to Australian authorities. The Treaty of Lausanne 1922 refers only to actual cemeteries, not the surrounding land. The Gallipoli cemeteries are looked after by the six-nation Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Continue reading “1994_10_october_anzacnew”

In the context, the word “”uncle” was tragic. “”Uncle” means jovial, middle-aged, slightly wise, certainly knowledgeable. The nephew is young and sees the uncle as a figure of perhaps indulgence. Not this time. Kevin Grieves had come to pay respects at his uncle’s grave.

It was marked 376 Pvt H G Grieves 1st Australian Infantry, 19 May 1915. Age 20.

Killed in action at Gallipoli. Buried in Shrapnel Valley.

Kevin and his wife, Gwen, placed two small Australian flags on the grave and stood back a moment. Their Turkish taxi driver stood to attention.
Continue reading “1994_10_october_anzac1”

The Liberal Party was snubbing one of the greatest achievements of its founder, Sir Robert Menzies, by pretending the party was founded in Albury when it was founded in Canberra, according to the ACT Labor Attorney-General, Terry Connolly.

Mr Connolly said yesterday that the Liberal Party had been founded in Canberra 50 years ago, not Albury, and the Liberals should be holding their anniversary conference here.

He condemned the Liberals’ leader, Alexander Downer, for saying on Friday that the Liberal Party had been formed “”here in Albury”.
Continue reading “1994_10_october_albury”

ACT politics column. By CRISPIN HULL The public area of the Assembly committee room was almost full on Wednesday. Just one chair was available. The Budget estimates committee had just begun its morning session.

What a delightful thing to see such general public interest in the administration of the Territory, I thought, even if it might cost me my own seat.

And what an active interest all these people were taking as committee members started to question the Chief Minister about the over- and under-spending of the Budget-line items in her department last financial year.
Continue reading “1994_10_october_actcolumn29”

The failure by the ACT to negotiate the resumption of a lease over an equestrian centre at West Belconnen has caused the rescheduling of housing development at a cost of at least $1 million, according to a valuer.

The Minister for Planning, Bill Wood, acknowledges the rescheduling, but says there was no additional cost.

The owner of Fassifern Equestrian Centre, Mike O’Brien, said yesterday that he had been negotiating for two years over the nine-hectare site.
Continue reading “1994_09_september_resume”

Health is shaping up to be a major election issue, according to independent polling by the The Canberra Times. Residents are showing a high level of concern over health, rates and development, according to the polling.

Over the next three days The Canberra Times will publish details of extensive polling on ACT politics and the ACT’s federal politicians.
Continue reading “1994_09_september_pollpuff”

ACT voters have given the Government a big thumbs down on health and land-use, according to results of a Canberra Times-Datacol opinion poll.

This issues show an extremely high level of dissatisfaction. Health stands out as an issue of electoral vulnerability for the Government with more people saying the Liberal Party would handle it better than Labor.

Usually, Labor is seen as the party more likely to deal with health better _ both locally and federally.
Continue reading “1994_09_september_polliss”

The Liberal Party is ahead of Labor in Tuggeranong-based Brindabella and Labor is ahead in the other two seats, central Molonglo and Belconnen-based Ginninderra, according to the latest Canberra Times-Datacol poll. The poll indicates the ACT is headed for independents holding the balance of power.

The poll also indicates a defiance of the Labor party “”how-to-vote ticket” in Brindabella, with Labor’s No 1 candidate, Andrew Whitecross, polling third behind the two sitting MLAs, and on the poll figures he would not be elected.

The first preference break up is: Brindabella Labor 33 to Liberal 37; Molonglo 39 to 29; and Ginninderra 36 to 29.
Continue reading “1994_09_september_poll23”