Federal election 2022: The ACT's for turning now, so don't take it for granted

Canberra is no longer a "Labor city" with a Liberal rump. It has been made crystal clear what residents have long suspected or whispered about: the territory has long been taken for granted and it's for turning.

And no matter the protests, the major parties have been complicit in the status quo.

Does it feel good to say it out loud? The mood in the ACT - and likely to be reflected at the ballot boxes - has been for change.

Yes, there has always been a strong progressive vote in the national capital, and the switched-on denizens of the ACT love a good protest vote, but there has just never been enough in the alternative offerings.

Just not enough name factor, nor inspiration, nor trust, nor risk-worthiness to shift things. With just two Senate seats on offer, the bar has always been too high for the non-Labor and Liberal types.

Enter David Pocock and Kim Rubenstein. On paper both could be seen as perfect candidates to enter the Senate on behalf of the ACT.

The Brumbies star with the committed track record on the environment and social justice and the scholarly constitutional expert with a solid background in gender advocacy.

Riding on a wave of distrust and despair with politics as usual, they both said no to parties and factions. And they were freed from the financial burden of running for office with unspecified support pouring in from political backers Climate 200. This backing, which has enraged and frustrated opponents, has been critical. Just ask any independent and minor party not in the Climate 200's group of 22 getting this backing.

Mr Pocock and Professor Rubenstein would not be remotely visible without a lot of money. Mr Pocock's face, in particular, has saturated Canberra. Right-wing attack unit Advance Australia appears to have mostly assisted his cause, raiding his candidacy further by the deliberately misleading "Green Superman" ads.

The former footballer declared from day one he was challenging Zed Seselja. He targeted Liberal voters who wanted stronger action on climate and integrity while pushing the incumbent to seek the multi-million dollar projects overdue in the ACT or just plain absent.

It has been raining infrastructure pledges. If they are justified and properly costed, so they should. Mr Pocock found over the last five years $1 has come to the ACT for every $240 that's gone to the rest of the country.

This is telling.

The independents' candidacies have pushed Labor, too. And so it should. Katy Gallagher had to break out the "big guns" in Julia Gillard in seeking votes. This is not where Labor normally sits in the ACT.

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Has this Labor town expectation been good for Canberra? It has certainly caused roadblocks during the past nine years of the Coalition government.

Canberra is a modern, mature capital. It seeks to shine on the international stage, but it is bursting at the seams and needs structural support to continue to grow. A start may well be greater territory representation.

Should one of the independents be successful, they will have a big job ahead with only three years to fulfil all that has been promised during the campaign. It will be a powerful position on the Senate cross-bench in the 47th Parliament and there'll be high expectations to make a difference.

So we'll soon find out how a marginal seat operates with our cards now close to our collective chests.

All elected ACT federal representatives, even a newcomer should history be made, are on notice.

The ACT's for turning now, so don't take it for granted.