The Canberra Times Today

Today is January 26, 2021 and this is your daily news briefing from The Canberra Times. In today’s update, Grace Tame, the 26-year-old woman behind the #LetHerSpeak campaign to repeal a law that silenced Tasmanian sexual assault survivors, has been named the 2021 Australian of the Year, and retiring former ACT opposition leader Alistair Coe has suggested the Liberals need to "develop better alliances" on the right side of politics in order to win enough seats to break Labor and the Greens' stranglehold on power.

Today is January 25, 2021 and this is your daily news briefing from The Canberra Times. In today’s update, emergency services chief Georgeina Whelan told the chair of the ACT Bushfire Council she had lost confidence in the group's advice, accusing its members of undermining her agency in the aftermath of last summer's fire season, and Monday marks the 100th day since the ACT election and 83 days since the Labor-Greens alliance first formed government in what the Chief Minister has described as the "most difficult period to govern" in the territory's history.

Today is January 22, 2021 and this is your daily news briefing from The Canberra Times. In today’s update, the ACT will try to measure its indirect carbon emissions - such as those created in the production of food and goods used in Canberra - and set targets to reduce them, and Chief Minister Andrew Barr has likened ongoing scrutiny of Defence's role in sparking the Orroral Valley blaze to a "witch hunt", after the release of photos taken moments after the fire's ignition triggered fresh public outrage.

Today is January 21, 2021 and this is your daily news briefing from The Canberra Times. In today’s update, amid claims of rigged elections, deadly riots and impeachments, Joe Biden has become the 46th President of the United States of America this morning, officially ending Donald Trump's four-year term, and the Canberra Liberals are under renewed pressure to publicly lobby their federal counterparts to give the ACT and Northern Territory the power to legalise voluntary assisted dying.

Today is January 20, 2021 and this is your daily news briefing from The Canberra Times. In today’s update, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr says there could be merit in requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for entry into certain high-risk settings, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison will not speak to Donald Trump in his final days as US President, while the Opposition Leader will use a speech to accuse Mr Morrison of being too close to Mr Trump and mismanaging the alliance between the two countries.

Today is January 19, 2021 and this is your daily news briefing from The Canberra Times. In today’s update, nearly one in five people working in federal government departments are employed on external contracts or through labour-hire firms, analysis by The Canberra Times shows, amid concerns by critics the government was being privatised by stealth, and Senator Bridget McKenzie has agreed to face a Senate committee next month over her involvement in the sports rorts saga after being ordered by senators to appear at an inquiry into the community grants program.

Today is January 18, 2021 and this is your daily news briefing from The Canberra Times. In today’s update, Health Minister Greg Hunt said he was seeking urgent advice from Australia's medicines regulator following reports in Norway of elderly patients dying after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, and community clubs have incurred multimillion-dollar losses during the coronavirus pandemic, heightening fears more venues could be forced to shut their doors.

Today is January 15, 2021 and this is your daily news briefing from The Canberra Times. In today’s update, the government's plans to introduce a new public transport ticketing system that would allow people to tap on and off with their credit cards have fallen through after it failed to come to an agreement with a chosen provider, and the head of the ACT's infrastructure department holds a senior committee position at Canberra Racing Club, which is embarking on a major residential and commercial development at Thoroughbred Park.

Today is January 14, 2021 and this is your daily news briefing from The Canberra Times. In today’s update, the House is expected to impeach President Donald Trump for his encouragement of supporters who stormed the US Capitol, a vote that would make him the first American president to be impeached twice, and new figures have provided a glimpse into the disparity of the cost of funded "working lunches" through the public service

Today is January 13, 2021 and this is your daily news briefing from The Canberra Times. In today’s update, Canberrans will be able to travel freely to regional NSW and parts of Sydney and not need to quarantine on return after chief health officer Kerryn Coleman relaxed the ACT's border ban, and Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack says he won't apologise for remarks described as deeply offensive and a racial dog-whistle, and defended two of his colleagues spreading misinformation and conspiracies sourced from QAnon groups on social media.