The de facto opposition that Labor faces
Could One Nation be the unofficial opposition at the 2028 poll, asks political columnist MICHELLE GRATTAN.
- Politics
- Opinion
Heaven help our cherished ‘Garden City’
"What this government is now doing is abandoning any effective control on residential densities in suburban areas… at the same time reducing standards for on-site car parking," writes planning expert RICHARD JOHNSTON.
- Arts & Entertainment
A helping Hand to performance art
The new Hand to Hand Academy is an initiative of Warehouse Circus getting behind Registered Training Organisation certificates, helping put the ACT on the national map alongside training offered elsewhere.
- Politics
Make a decision, there’s enough information!
"In politics, delay is used to avoid decision making. The establishment of a two-year Citizens’ Jury at the cost of $3.1million simply introduces a new level of the delay tactic," writes political columnist MICHAEL MOORE.
- News
Steel and Barr hell bent on ruining streetscapes
"Minister Steel specifically stated in his announcement that the government is looking at making changes to the existing taxation regime arrangements for property." says letter writer RON EDGECOMBE.
- Arts & Entertainment
A bright burst of Afterlight at Belco
Here's the latest Arts in the City column from arts editor HELEN MUSA.
- News
A Winter Dose of Dorin
Winter's back and as we face months of freezing weather, cartoonist PAUL DORIN – as always – sees the funny side.
- Arts & Entertainment
True crime booms with two, top-rating shockers
Netflix’s latest true crime hits Worst Ex Ever and Should I Marry a Murderer? are topping streaming charts, writes columnist NICK OVERALL.
- Lifestyle
Pomegranates are good for autumn colour
Pomegranate trees are an underutilised fruit tree that bring autumn colour and edible rewards, says gardening columnist JACKIE WARBURTON.
News
Australia mourns as Israeli ambassador visits Bondi
As the Jewish community mourns the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack Israel's ambassador has visited the site, as Australia considers tighter gun laws.
Update
‘Guilty’: mushroom cook convicted of triple murder
Mushroom cook Erin Patterson intentionally poisoned four members of her estranged husband's family, a jury has found after a week of deliberations.
News
Coroner finds cop who shot indigenous teen a racist
A coroner has found the death of a 19-year-old Warlpiri-Luritja man in a remote community was avoidable, and the former police officer who shot him was racist.
Update
Few clues to motive in ‘horrifying’ Bondi rampage
NSW Premier Chris Minns says women were targeted in the Bondi Junction mass stabbing but lengthy inquiries to come may never conclusively find a motive.
Update
Low-paid workers to receive 4.75 per cent wage rise
Millions of workers on industry awards will get a 4.75 per cent annual pay rise, but minimum wage earners will receive a larger boost of six per cent.
Coppins Crossing Road to close for bridge works
Easier access to wills under ACT changes
Labor downplays budget’s impact on house price decline
ACT to spend $1.34b on new northside hospital
Knife threat as resident chases home intruders
Police have suspicions about Richardson fire
Lifestyle
Hunter & Barrel brings real fire-grill steak to Canberra
Premium steakhouse Hunter & Barrel will open its doors at the Canberra Centre, 20 Scotts Crossing, on May 8, bringing its signature fire-led dining experience to the nation’s capital.
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Arts & Entertainment
Bigger, bolder Footloose back for ‘explosive’ season
Footloose: The Musical returns to Canberra in a new production – bigger, bolder and more explosive than ever before – at the Royal Theatre, May 8-10.
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News
‘Never again’: lessons from a new-look war memorial
The Australian War Memorial sits on a "fault line" in the national debate, its director says, as he reflects on how history guides its $580 million refurb.
News
Low-paid workers to receive 4.75 per cent wage rise
Millions of workers on industry awards will get a 4.75 per cent annual pay rise, but minimum wage earners will receive a larger boost of six per cent.
News
Coppins Crossing Road to close for bridge works
A section of Coppins Crossing Road will close for three days this month to allow safety barriers to be installed on the new Molonglo River bridge.
News
Easier access to wills under ACT changes
The ACT’s wills register has been expanded to include wills previously held by the ACT Supreme Court, making it easier for families to locate important documents after a person's death.
Politics
Labor downplays budget’s impact on house price decline
The treasurer has tried to allay concerns proposed tax changes in the budget were the only reason house prices were falling in major capital cities.
Politics
ACT to spend $1.34b on new northside hospital
The ACT Government says it will spend $1.34 billion over the next seven years on a new northside hospital, bringing its total commitment to the project to almost $1.5 billion over a decade.
News
Steel and Barr hell bent on ruining streetscapes
"Minister Steel specifically stated in his announcement that the government is looking at making changes to the existing taxation regime arrangements for property." says letter writer RON EDGECOMBE.
Police
Knife threat as resident chases home intruders
An Evatt resident was threatened with knives after disturbing several people inside their McGill Street home early Sunday morning.
Police
Police have suspicions about Richardson fire
Police are investigating a suspicious house fire that caused extensive damage to a home in Richardson early Sunday morning.
Police
Unlicensed teen’s unroadworthy trail bike seized
A 16-year-old boy has had his trail bike seized after police responded to reports of motorcycles being ridden through several Belconnen suburbs on Saturday afternoon.
Daily Puzzles
Could One Nation be the unofficial opposition at the 2028 poll, asks political columnist MICHELLE GRATTAN.
"In politics, delay is used to avoid decision making. The establishment of a two-year Citizens’ Jury at the cost of $3.1million simply introduces a new level of the delay tactic," writes political columnist MICHAEL MOORE.
How to ‘reset’ NACC effectively
Will a party of independents fix the frustration?
Berry’s bizarre ‘gotcha’ defence of funding fumble
Kermit’s right: it’s not easy being Greens in Canberra
‘Party of independents’ a contradiction in terms?
Mad as hell and I’m not going to take this any more!
Views
Heaven help our cherished ‘Garden City’
"What this government is now doing is abandoning any effective control on residential densities in suburban areas… at the same time reducing standards for on-site car parking," writes planning expert RICHARD JOHNSTON.
Opinion
Pushing rails into Parliament House bushland?
"The bushland ring surrounding Parliament House was a central element of the original design... Any substantial intrusion into this perimeter warrants careful public examination". GEORGE WILSON has concerns about the tram route to Woden.
Opinion
Canberra cocaine consumption hits new highs
"Australia’s cocaine trade illustrates how strong domestic demand, exceptionally high prices and globalised criminal supply chains can sustain a resilient illicit market," writes CLIVE WILLIAMS.
Letters
Out of this world, epic it was and Epic it wasn’t
What a privilege it was to have been present to hear one of the world’s great scientific gurus... pity about the venue, bemoans letter writer DENNIS MARTIN.
Opinion
A quatrain: Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker
"A quatrain is a stanza or verse in poetry that has four lines. It often follows a rhyming formula of 'couplets', 'alternating rhymes' and 'enclosed rhymes'," writes Whimsy columnist CLIVE WILLIAMS.
Opinion
Stop the waste: abolish the Ombudsman’s office
"A bit harsh? Alas, as at the end of 2025, only 37 per cent of surveyed Ombudsman customers were satisfied. Also telling, and dismal, is that the office aspiration is only 65 per cent." bemoans HUGH SELBY.
Opinion
KEEPING UP THE ACT
KEEPING UP THE ACT reveals the power of ACT Labor's Justice Warriors and how they get things done for the community! Yeah, naw!
Opinion
Being punished for the temerity of working hard!
"In Treasurer Jim Chalmer's intergenerational equity-obsession budget, the boomer generation in particular is being punished for the temerity of working hard, and taking risks in buying properties!" writes columnist ROSS FITZGERALD.
Arts
A helping Hand to performance art
The new Hand to Hand Academy is an initiative of Warehouse Circus getting behind Registered Training Organisation certificates, helping put the ACT on the national map alongside training offered elsewhere.
Arts & Entertainment
A bright burst of Afterlight at Belco
Here's the latest Arts in the City column from arts editor HELEN MUSA.
Streaming
True crime booms with two, top-rating shockers
Netflix’s latest true crime hits Worst Ex Ever and Should I Marry a Murderer? are topping streaming charts, writes columnist NICK OVERALL.
Reviews
Dial M for a clever and suspenseful play
"This play is not a Whodunnit, rather it is a Will-He-Get-Away-With-It?" LEN POWER reviews Dial M for Murder.
Music
Dazzling evening of opera highlights
"What made this opera gala especially intriguing was that it marked the first time Cathy-Di Zhang and Helen Sherman had shared the stage. They clearly relished the opportunity," writes music reviewer BILL STEPHENS.
Update
Superstars band together for John Farnham tribute gig
A show business icon has expressed gratitude after a tribute show was announced celebrating his music and raising vital funds for charity.
Books
‘Dark plot’ of misogyny, brutal men and online reality
ANNA CREER reviews new, gripping novels by two Melbourne-based, female crime writers.
Music
Opera gala offers intimate take on classic arias
Snow Concert Hall is about to make a rare foray into opera this weekend with a planned gala featuring two of Australia’s most respected operatic stars, soprano Cathy-Di Zhang and mezzo soprano Helen Sherman, writes arts editor HELEN MUSA.
Theatre
Trapped in the aftermath of a passionate affair
Terence Rattigan is not a name often heard in theatre circles these days, but ACT Hub is about to set that to rights with its coming production of his play The Deep Blue Sea, writes arts editor HELEN MUSA.
Lifestyle
Pomegranates are good for autumn colour
Pomegranate trees are an underutilised fruit tree that bring autumn colour and edible rewards, says gardening columnist JACKIE WARBURTON.
Wine
The winery that drove visitors to drinking gin
"The guide asked the 10 of us whether it was a gin tasting or another wine tasting that should form part of the itinerary. Nine voted for gin. I abstained." Columnist RICHARD CALVER reports from his wine tour to Kangaroo Island.
Lifestyle
Scrambling home when the streetlights came on
"We didn’t wear watches and we didn't have phones so there was no way for parents to tell us it was time to come home. Streetlights were a curfew warning you to be home in time for tea," writes PAUL DORIN.
Gardening
Winter wattles brighten gardens
Woolly Wattle is a tough, compact native shrub with bright globular flowers on long stems, ideal for shelter and erosion control, writes gardening columnist JACKIE WARBURTON.
Wine
Cold truths about good chardonnay
"It was a new-style chardonnay with very little butter and the oak flavours subtle. It was a pleasant drink." Wine columnist RICHARD CALVER gets a taste for a chardonnay from Orange.
Dining
Luke brings fire to the new fish markets
Dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON revels in a special eatery at the new Sydney Fish Markets.
Dining
Eightysix is unapologetically itself
Thirteen years ago, a restaurant in Braddon opened with unbridled enthusiasm and a determination to make a difference, writes dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON.
Canberra culture
Everywhere you look, the heads are down
"We no longer memorise phone numbers or passwords, emergencies no longer feel as risky with instant access to help, and getting lost has become almost impossible with maps guiding every turn," writes PAUL DORIN.
Legal
What if you’re accused of a serious criminal offence in NSW?
Been accused of a criminal act in NSW? This sponsored post advises you to respond with the best tools and resources available to ensure your reputation is protected and that you’re given a fighting chance for justice.
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