Canberra now: Senator Zed Seselja's future; and glimpse of light rail

Happy Thursday! Can you feel it? We're almost there ... the weekend is so, so close. I have some bad news on the weather front, though - keep those puffer jackets handy. We're in for a cloudy day with patches of morning frost. Top of 14 degrees today.

Grab that hot beverage, here's what's making news.

Update: ACT Liberal senator Zed Seselja has officially resigned from the ministry in a move designed to increase pressure on Malcolm Turnbull.

You can follow the latest federal political news here.

Earlier: ACT Liberal senator Zed Seselja remains an assistant minister in the Coalition government despite offering Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull his resignation after backing Peter Dutton in Tuesday's leadership spill.

Senator Seselja was among several assistant ministers who supported Mr Dutton in the shock ballot won by Mr Turnbull 48-35.

Doug Dingwall has the original story.

Author Phillipa McGuinness says this week's seismic political events prove her theory that the effects of 2001 are still being felt.

McGuinness, a prominent publisher, has been ruminating on this single, momentous year ever since she set out to write a book about it, The Year That Everything Changed, which is featured at this year’s Canberra Writers Festival which starts Thursday.

Sally Pryor spoke to Ms McGuinness. Read her story here.

It's not quite as far as Canberra to Armidale, but Human Services department staff have been hit by a decentralisation project described as "farcical" by the main public sector union.

Department staff were expected to shift 20km from Surry Hills to western Sydney before the year's end but remain in the dark over the move, which Human Services Minister Michael Keenan touted as the Coalition's next effort to spread jobs to regions and outer suburbs.

Doug Dingwall has the story here.

It's been sneaking around in the dark for months, but Canberrans were given a rare glimpse of the tram during daylight hours yesterday as transport authorities moved to a new phase of light rail testing.

Daytime testing began on a small section of the network last week in Gungahlin, and by October, Canberrans can expect to see trams performing end-to-end tests of the network.

There's even plans to deliberately derail a tram in October to see how emergency services respond to such a crisis.

Read Finbar O'Mallon's story here.

Dogs and their owners are being officially invited to take part in a special event as part of The Canberra Times Fun Run on Sunday, September 23.

In a new twist, a 5km Paw Parade course for pooch and owner has been included, making it truly an event the whole family can enjoy.

More here.