Two days to the election.

Elizabeth Lee

Canberra Liberals leader Elizabeth Lee has apologised for making a rude gesture at RiotAct journalist Ian Bushnell last night, acknowledging that her behaviour was unprofessional.

Ms Lee explained that her reaction stemmed from a history of challenging interactions with Mr Bushnell, whom she described as consistently “incredibly aggressive” and interruptive during press conferences. While Ms Lee emphasised that she respected journalists and their rôle in asking tough questions, she said that she felt “constantly badgered and harassed” by Mr Bushnell.

Mr Bushnell has said he was doing his job, and rejected any suggestion of unprofessional conduct, RiotAct has reported. “As a practising journalist, I’m there to ask questions on behalf of the public,” Mr Bushnell was reported as saying. “For me, it gets frustrating when politicians evade or deflect questions.”

Ms Lee said that other journalists had observed Mr Bushnell’s behaviour and commented that “they have never seen him engage in the same aggressive manner with Andrew Barr”.

Mr Bushnell has been satirised in City News’s Keeping Up the ACT as biased towards Labor, while his reporting on independents or the ACT leaders’ debate seems to echo Labor’s views.

Ms Lee said that this difference in treatment had contributed to her frustration. “It is an incredibly uncomfortable position to be in, to be constantly badgered and essentially being called a liar.”

The breaking point for Ms Lee came during a discussion about cost-of-living relief, an issue she said she has fought hard to address.

“To be attacked about something, have my integrity called into question again…” Ms Lee said. “On this occasion, when I’m fighting so hard to talk about the cost-of-living pressures that Canberrans are facing, and the constant badgering and interruptions about the costings process, which I have answered time and time again, and being told that I am not being upfront, I unfortunately took that very personally… I did let the emotional side of my reaction get the better of me…

“It was clear to me that he was not even willing to listen. He asked the question. I’m trying to answer it. And the interruption that came so quickly demonstrated to me that he was not even willing to listen to the answer, that he had a predetermined view. And to me, it came across like he was accusing me of not being upfront, of being a liar. And I guess, in that moment, I took that very, very personally…

“Unfortunately, on this occasion, I let him and his poor behaviour get the better of me, and I reacted emotionally.”

Despite the incident, Ms Lee stressed that she bore no ill will towards Mr Bushnell.

She appealed to Canberra voters to consider her overall work on important issues like cost-of-living, housing, health, education, community safety, and suburban maintenance, rather than “passing judgement on literally one second of an emotional response”.

“Politicians are human … and I don’t think there’s a single person who hasn’t responded emotionally at some point,” Ms Lee said.

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Canberra Liberals: More funding for Integrity Commission

The Canberra Liberals have pledged to increase funding to the ACT Integrity Commission by 15 per cent, providing an initial boost of $5.6 million over the next term.

“Andrew Barr and the Labor Party were dragged kicking and screaming to set up an Integrity Commission, but it is clear there needs to be a more transparent funding model and additional resourcing to restore integrity into government,” Canberra Liberals leader Elizabeth Lee said.

At estimates hearings in July, the Integrity Commissioner, the Hon. Michael Adams KC, following allegations of ACT Labor’s entanglement with the CFMEU, said he would hold an enquiry into political lobbying in the ACT, if he had the resources.

“The question of the CFMEU raises the whole question of lobbying by organisations, both of departments, of particular public servants, and of politicians,” Mr Adams said. “It is a problem in every jurisdiction in Australia. If I had the resources, I would have an enquiry about lobbying in the ACT. I don’t have the resources at present. It’s on my wish-list to undertake.”

Ms Lee said the funding boost would enable the commission to perform its duties more effectively. She criticised the government for failing to adequately resource the Integrity Commission, suggesting that this underfunding resulted in drawn-out inquiries: that into the CIT contracts took 542 days, while the inquiry into the Campbell Primary School modernisation project procurement is still ongoing.

“With a number of Ministers having fronted public hearings in Integrity Commission investigations this term, it is no surprise the same government has not adequately resourced the commission,” Ms Lee said.

The Liberals plan to deliver an independent funding model for both the Integrity Commission and the Auditor-General. Currently, the Executive determines funding, by a submission to the Treasurer – Mr Barr – via the Speaker (this past term, Labor MLA Joy Burch).

Ms Lee argues that this model does not inspire public confidence.

“The Integrity Commissioner and the Auditor General are deemed officers of the Assembly at the current time; the reality is despite the Speaker representing the Assembly, this model does not foster public confidence about the way the Integrity Commissioner and Auditor General are funded,” Ms Lee said.

In the first year of a Canberra Liberals government, Ms Lee promised to conduct a thorough consultation process to establish a funding model independent of the Executive.

“A Canberra Liberals Government that I lead will always be upfront with Canberrans,” Ms Lee said. “We are not afraid of boosting funding for the Integrity Commission to undertake its very important work.”

The ACT Greens have already committed to fund an Integrity Commission inquiry into lobbying, believing that greater integrity, accountability and transparency are needed in politics, Andrew Braddock MLA said.

“We’d love to see any new government adopt this after the election. It’s great to see other parties starting to see the importance of this, and in principle we support this proposal, but we would like to read the full detail before committing to specifics.”

Bill Stefaniak, co-convenor of the Belco Party, proposed that additional funding for the ACT Integrity Commission could be used to hire half-a-dozen ex-detective sergeants on an initial two-year contract. These ex-detectives would assist the Commission in investigating and, if necessary, charging anyone individuals involved in corrupt behaviour within government departments and even the government itself, including politicians. Mr Stefaniak suggested that these ex-detectives be sworn in as special constables, giving them police powers to search, confiscate documents, and arrest and charge wrongdoers. Mr Stefaniak urged both the Liberals and ACT Labor to support his proposal.

Independents for Canberra leader Thomas Emerson supported more funding for the Integrity Commission.

“Canberrans are rightly asking why, during a cost-of-living crisis, we’ve seen multiple multi-million-dollar failings in this last term of government,” Mr Emerson said. “I strongly support more funding for the Integrity Commission to help answer those questions and ensure higher standards are upheld in the next term. We are hearing every day from community members who want are voting independent because they want to see greater integrity in politics. An Integrity Commission that’s able to operate at a faster rate and across a wider range of simultaneous investigations would certainly help achieve that aim, too.”

ACT Labor: Health

ACT Labor has outlined its health policies, which it says would deliver more affordable, accessible healthcare for Canberrans:

• Opening four new health centres across the ACT, staffed by nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals.
• Expanding nurse-led Walk-in Centres of the ACT to offer free mental health support, with specially trained nurses addressing both physical and mental health needs.
• Imaging services at the Belconnen Walk-in Centre.
• Expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice to treat more common conditions and prescribe essential medicines.
• A bulk-billing fund to assist new and existing practices.
• Reviewing after-hours access to primary care, including through the Canberra After Hours Locum Service (CALMS) to increase bulk-billed services after hours.
• Establishing nurse clinics in our public schools
• Expanding women’s health and chronic pain services
• Hiring more specialists for hospitals.

“Labor will always invest in free public health care to provide Canberrans with the right healthcare, in the right place and at the right time,” a spokesperson said.

Independents for Canberra candidate Sneha KC said: “Labor’s new healthcare promises sound positive, but they don’t address the root causes of the system’s challenges. Announcing new health centres and services is helpful, but without tackling workforce shortages and retention, this is a band-aid solution that may not improve wait times or access. Expanding nurse-led centres for mental health is promising, but more specialised professionals are needed for effective care. Similarly, increasing bulk billing is beneficial, but without addressing Medicare rebates, uptake may be low as it won’t attract more doctors. 

“These proposals seem designed to win votes without truly fixing the long-term issues in our healthcare system.”

The ACT Greens promise to deliver “genuinely free and accessible” healthcare for Canberrans, and present their plan as a more ambitious and holistic alternative to those of the other parties. Deputy Leader Rebecca Vassarotti said the Greens would a health system care that supports people “at all stages on your health journey, from birth to end of life”, not just in times of crisis.

The Greens’ plan includes:

• More than 160,000 free GP appointments through four bulk-billed, government-run clinics.
• Establishing mental health safe havens in each town centre for free support close to home.
• Creating a perinatal mental health residential facility with no out-of-pocket costs.
• Offering free ambulances for emergencies, ensuring no financial barriers during health crises.
• A free, integrated inpatient eating disorder unit, delivering both medical and therapeutic care.
• Free assessments and support for people with or without neurodivergent diagnoses at a Centre for Neurodivergence.

The Greens also aim to expand mental health services and provide support for emotional distress, such as bereavement and relationship breakdowns. They plan to establish an independent board for transparency and accountability, positioning the ACT health system as a leader in care and an employer of choice.

In contrast to other parties’ targeted cash incentives, the Greens propose system-wide changes to attract and retain health workers, like training GPs to specialise in chronic health management.

Dr Gwenda Griffiths, Animal Justice Party candidate, said: “There is nothing progressive or practical about Labor’s health care policies, and this has certainly been proven over the last 23 years.

“In that time, the ACT Public Health system has deteriorated from ‘better than average’ to the worst in the country.

“The median waiting times for public surgery have increased by 39 per cent during the Labor/ Greens stewardship.

“Over the last few years, the Canberra Hospital has lost the accreditation from medical specialty training bodies due to the lack of suitable training facilities and supervising doctors for specialists in training. This has serious implications for doctors wanting to come to Canberra for training, reducing the likelihood that they will want to come here as specialists. Last month, the trainee orthopaedic doctors were withdrawn from TCH by the training council due to lack of supervision. This will directly impact patient care, theatre waiting times, staff morale, and the overall accreditation of the Canberra Hospital.

“The nurse-led walk-in centres are costly, can only deliver care on a limited range of conditions, and result in many referrals back to GP’s for urgent appointments to complete management of the condition. Expansion to cover mental health needs with nurses is unlikely to remove the burden from acute mental health services or in-patient units, and one wonders where these specialist nurses will be obtained.

“Opening more centres where the Tertiary referral hospital is already chronically understaffed will not help. There is no staff to divert or retrain. Recruitment to Canberra for medical and nursing staff has proven difficult for some time now.

1. Waiting times at outpatients clinics continue to spiral upwards.
2. There needs to be an emphasis on support for General Practitioners who are extremely cost effective in keeping people in their homes and out of the acute hospital settings.
3. Canberra needs more GP’s who are given the chance to integrate with other levels of healthcare within the Canberra Health Services, to work in models of multidisciplinary clinics and bulk billing practices.
4. Public Dental services need to be vastly expanded.
5. Public surgery waiting times need to be decreased – currently, they are rising.
6. Emergency waiting times must be reduced.
7. Staff morale must be addressed.
8. Gynaecology and chronic pelvic pain services are severely limited and should be given priority to have this shortfall addressed.

“The public health system is very sick. There is little in Labor’s plans that will relieve the cost in time or money to the average Canberran. Their track record should speak loudly for itself in the failed management of the ACT Health system.”