Labor Member for Ginninderra Mary Porter, who has announced she is retiring, pictured on Thursday with The Listening Tree, a sculpture at the ACT Assembly. Photo: Jay Cronan
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Ginninderra MLA Mary Porter – who received the second-highest number of votes of any Labor candidate at the last ACT election – is retiring from the Assembly after more that a decade of grassroots politics.
Ms Porter, who would be 74 by the next election in a year's time, said age had never been a barrier to her political career but poor health was forcing her out – not, she said, any pressure from the Labor Party. Colleagues had respected her decision but still tried to convince her to stay.
- A masked man wielding "knife-like weapons" walked from classroom to classroom to stab students as they opened the door, killing a teacher and a boy and wounding two others at a school in western Sweden before being shot dead by police.
- The Parkes Way traffic debacle that stretched over more than 50 hours ended on Thursday with the reopening of the road's westbound lanes and the removal of the truck and excavator that smashed into Acton Tunnel on Tuesday.
- Cricket tragics warily watching the skies on Friday morning need not fear a repeat of Thursday's showers for the Prime Minister's XI in the afternoon.
- It was touted as one lanyard to rule them all, replacing all the different lanyards in use at the giant department. But that's not the way it happened.
- ACT public servants are picking up pay rises worth three times more than their cross-town Commonwealth counterparts.
- The loss of Simon Corbell at the next election matters to Labor because it sends a message of a party too tied up its own incomprehensible union and factional machinations to see the bigger picture.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and Prime Minister's XI captain Mike Hussey at Manuka Oval in Canberra. Photo: Melissa Adams
They're facing the most turbulent overhaul in years but New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum believes Australia's huge turnover in personnel could make them even tougher to beat this summer.
McCullum is being rested from the Black Caps' tour opener against the Prime Minister's XI at Manuka Oval on Friday after giving testimony in the Chris Cairns perjury trial in London.
- David Pocock is fighting an uphill battle to be declared fit to play in the Wallabies' World Cup semi-final on Sunday.
- Josh Hazlewood has expressed safety concerns over the pink ball to be used in the historic day-night Test match, saying there are visibility issues for fielders square of the wicket.
- Everyone wants to be Maverick because he gets the girl at the end of Top Gun, but Bernard Foley is happy to be the Wallabies' 'Iceman' as they chase World Cup glory.
9.11am: That crash on King Edward Terrace at Parkes cleared up almost as soon as it popped up on our system.
9.04am: Looks like there's been a crash on King Edward Terrace at Parkes.
A heads up for next week: Tharwa Bridge will be closed for maintenance work from Tuesday, October 27 to Friday, October 30. The closure will be in effect daily from 9am to 4pm.
If you see any accidents or have any info on the morning commute, let us know whenever it is safe to do so: morningblog@canberratimes.com.au or tweet us @canberratimes
Summer sport kicks off today in Canberra with the Prime Minister's XI cricket match. The Australian side take on New Zealand at Manuka Oval. $16-$81. See ticketek.com.au
Lock Up Your Boss kicks off 6am today in Garema Place raising money for Lifeline. See lockupyourboss.com.au.
To mark the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, the National Film and Sound Archive is screening The Interpreter, with Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, followed by a series of United National short films. Tickets $10/$18.
It's adults-only night at Questacon - Sninight – and they're celebrating ideas about the past, present and future on the 30th anniversary of Back to the Future. 18+. $10 at the door. See questacon.edu.au.
The annual Canberra Nara Festival sees thousands of glowing candles lighting up the Lennox Gardens park on October 24, with Japanese music, crafts, lanterns and food stalls. Free entry.
For 36 reasons why you shouldn't be bored in Canberra this weekend, check out Canberra Weekender.
Hall School Museum and Heritage Centre will be holding a Garage Sale Trail with vendor Heather Wilford, coordinator Mardie Troth and museum curator Phil Robson. Photo: Elesa Kurtz
Nothing shouts 'ACT heritage' louder than an area with history dating back further than Canberra's settlement.
The Hall School Museum and Heritage Centre is letting locals take some of that history home with them at its community Garage Sale Trail – Australia's biggest day of garage sales – on Saturday.
More than 20 sellers will set up behind the former Hall Primary School which was closed by the ACT government in 2006, five years short of its centenary.
Touch or click through for more David Pope
After 50 hours stuck in the Acton Tunnel the low loader and excavator are driven away. Photo: Graham Tidy
The Parkes Way traffic debacle that stretched over more than 50 hours ended on Thursday with the reopening of the road's westbound lanes and the removal of the truck and excavator that smashed into Acton Tunnel on Tuesday.
Today: Cloudy. Light winds. Min 5, max 20.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Patchy fog in the early morning. Light winds. Min 4, max 23.
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Patchy morning fog. Light winds becoming northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day then becoming light during the evening. Min 5, max 26.
