'One election at a time': ACT Labor marks 25 years in power

analysis Some want to see ACT Labor ousted after 25 years in power, but what would it take? In October 2001, Kylie Minogue's iconic hit 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' dominated Australia's music charts. That same month, Labor was voted into office in the ACT. Fast forward 25 years, and Minogue's popularity has proven timeless; that song remains her most streamed. But as it marks a quarter of a century in charge of the ACT, can the same be said for Labor? That's 9,131 days in control of the Australian capital, requiring seven straight election wins. It's no easy feat. Being in power for that long, Labor has sometimes been dubbed the "forever government" in the ACT. But is anything really 'forever'? 'Forever government'? In the time since the 2001 election, Canberra, and the world around it, has changed immensely — and almost an extra 200,000 people now call the ACT home. For Chief Minister Andrew Barr, who is the longest current serving state or territory leader in Australia, there's a few ingredients to the party's recipe for success. First, running good election campaigns. Second, running good candidates. And third, having good policies. But, on only one occasion back in 2004, it was enough for an outright majority — the rest of the time, Labor has needed the support of independents and other parties to form government. It makes for a — mostly — robust, but sometimes challenging ACT Legislative Assembly. "Minority government is a roller coaster ride and some days you're up and some days you're down", as Mr Barr puts it. The role of opposition There's another element that has undoubtedly helped Labor over the last 25 years, and they've really had nothing to do with it — the performance of the opposition. The Canberra Liberals have been in government for just eight of the 37 years of self-government in the territory. The party has been plagued with infighting and has struggled to find the right balance to appease Canberra's progressive population. Gary Humphries, who has the unenviable position of being the last Liberal chief minister, said Canberrans needed a reason to "shake the cage". "The Liberal Party has let itself and the electors down by not being a credible alternative on too many occasions," Dr Humphries said. "There have been times when voters were genuinely willing, anxious to change the government but didn't feel they could trust the Liberal Party with that responsibility." Is it good for democracy? Labor is sometimes criticised for being a "tired and fatigued" government, one that has become complacent and is slow to act. But without a viable alternative, Labor has been the logical choice for many voters. Frank Bongiorno, who is the director of the University of Canberra's Centre of Public Ideas, said it had not been good for democracy. "Party competition is really one of the kinds of measures of a vibrant democracy," he said. "When you have a government that is in that long, it can undermine the democratic process." Mr Barr said his party had demonstrated it could "renew in office". "If you look at the people who were elected in 2001 … there is no-one from that government still in the current one," he said. "We have had stability of purpose and consistency in values that we have brought to the task of governing." Another 25 years? Labor's silver jubilee anniversary also marks the half-way point in this parliamentary term. All things going to plan, the party's long rule in the ACT will extend to at least 27 years. However, it's been particularly volatile in recent times, especially after the Greens ended their confidence and supply agreement, putting Labor in a precarious position. Dr Humphries is hopeful the Liberals are on the right path heading to the 2028 election, adding there's still work to be done. "Changes in government are healthy things in any system," he said. For Mr Barr, there's still plenty more that Labor wants to achieve in the ACT. "You've just got to take it one election at a time,"he said. But does that mean another 25 years in power, or, as Kylie Minogue puts it: "stay forever and ever, and ever, and ever"? Most can agree it's a matter of when, not if, Labor will meet its electoral demise.