Campaigning has begun for Canberra’s election set for August

It is election year in the territory and while Canberrans won’t go to the poles for another nine months, campaigning has already begun.

Transcript

00:00 It's a campaign that will bring about energy and about ideas.

00:14 We are not going to sign a blank cheque.

00:22 Tackling the big issues of climate change, of housing, of inequality, issues we know

00:27 that need urgent and bold responses.

00:32 You could be forgiven for thinking you're experiencing déjà vu.

00:36 The ACT is heading into an election year where Canberra's light rail, rates, housing, health

00:42 and education system improvements are all key issues.

00:46 But has the political and social terrain changed?

00:49 Labor has been in government since 2001, the longest serving in the country, and they've

00:54 been in coalition with the Greens since 2012.

00:57 The last election was held in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

01:01 Since then, inflation and interest rate rises have made cost of living pressures more acute.

01:06 But there's also been a change in government at the federal level since that last ACT election,

01:11 and the strains placed on the economy by the pandemic have subsided.

01:15 So all these changes and other issues have Canberrans thinking it's time for fresh leadership

01:20 in the territory.

01:21 [BLANK_AUDIO]