ACT politics is in flux as Kingfisher claims another scalp
Yvette Berry has resigned from her position as Deputy Chief Minister of the ACT following pressure related to the Integrity Commission's report on the Kingfisher project. The resignation is seen as a strategic move to protect the Labor government ahead of the upcoming 2028 election.
Why it matters
It highlights the fragility of political stability in the ACT and the ongoing impact of the Kingfisher corruption investigation on local government leadership.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr delivers the news that he had accepted Yvette Berry’s resignation from cabinet. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
Would Yvette Berry have gone so easily if Labor had commanded or been able to muster a majority in the Legislative Assembly?
The ACT Integrity Commission made no finding of wrongdoing against her, and in recent times the quaint Westminster notion of ministerial responsibility has been given short shrift in other places, leaving public servants alone to carry the can.
Ms Berry was Deputy Chief Minister, like her father before her, had senior portfolios and was a key figure on the left of the party. Chief Minister Andrew Barr even said she had been badly let down.
So why should she be sacrificed, and reduced to being a backbencher?
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