Andrew Barr, The big Ken Behren

Andrew Barr is a man with some rather surprisingly controversial opinions. For instance, he thinks there are times when pineapple on pizza is a good thing and lives by the motto that life is too short for bad coffee.

According to Andrew, skim milk most definitely does not belong in coffee — unless there are intolerance or dietary reasons, of course — because he is concerned with people’s wellbeing after all.

In our first interview with Andrew Barr in FUSE issue #01, he was a 35-year-old man who had served as a Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly for just three years. Today, he is 51 and the current ACT Chief Minister, a role he has held for ten years. Back then, Andrew couldn’t imagine being in politics when he turned 50, but now, he plans to review his options in another four years. Maybe. Depends.

ANDREW SUMS UP THE LAST DECADE AND A HALF AS “ENGAGING, DIVERSE AND CHALLENGING.”

In Andrew’s opinion, unforeseen events are a true test of leadership; how a person responds and seeks to lead government or community response is what makes the person a good leader. In his experience, there are three issues that stand out in the ten years he’s been Chief Minister. In order of impact, he names COVID, followed by the bushfires in the summer of 2019-2020, and lastly, their response to the Mr Fluffy asbestos-contaminated homes.

While Mr Fluffy was an intense issue for 1,000 Canberra households, the bushfires affected tens of thousands and the COVID pandemic was an intense issue for every household worldwide.

It was during the COVID pandemic that Andrew became a meme. Well, it was a ABC News transcription machine that incorrectly heard him say the word  “Canberrans” and before anyone knew it, a movement was born — and Andrew became famous for talking to all “Ken Behrens”. Like the rest of us, he enjoyed the light-hearted moment in the extremely stressful time we were all living through, and he wears his Ken Behren t-shirts proudly as he goes about his days in the warmer months of the year.

Photo: ‘Ken Behrens’ instead of ‘Canberrans’ auto caption error. August 2021 screenshot from a 9 News Australia YouTube video.

The Chief Minister is very aware of the heavy toll that this period took on everyone in leadership positions around Australia, noting that out of all the Chief Ministers, Premiers and even Prime Minister at the time, he is the only one still around.

Reflecting on the recent political shift and change in Federal Government in May of 2022, Andrew says a range of new possibilities had opened up for the ACT.

Like many of us, he felt a renewed hope for the future and decided he had unfinished business and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get significant things done for Canberra.

THAT’S WHY HE HAS DECIDED TO RUN AGAIN AS A CANDIDATE IN THE UPCOMING ACT ELECTION.

Andrew concedes that after 21 years of Labor governments in the ACT, there are certainly fewer firsts that can be achieved, but he says there are still plenty of opportunities.

He sees potential for the ACT Government to continue to reform, especially in terms of social and economic policies.  He says contemplating how the ACT raises its revenue is a dull but worthy issue for him and his government.

The government will tackle what aspects of economic activity are taxed and which are not, as these decisions impact everything from housing affordability to small business viability to investment attraction to wages and conditions for the workforce.

Taking an environmental lead, Andrew is excited for the ACT to be the first jurisdiction to get to a net zero economy by 2045, saying that the government he leads is crafting a holistic response to emission reduction and climate change adaptation because climate change is happening and it’s not something that is reversible.

“THE ACT NEEDS TO ADAPT TO THE REALITY WE’LL HAVE MORE EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AND SOME ELEMENTS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT ARE GOING TO CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY.”

Pondering where the ACT has particular strengths, especially since Canberra doesn’t manufacture anything, Andrew says we are a place where technology and ideas are developed, commercialised and scaled up. He feels there is scope for the ACT to be better at translating some of the fantastic research and development that occurs here into things that can then be exported.

He mentions the example of Wi-Fi being invented at the CSIRO, and is excited by the work coming out of the ANU around the utilisation of all batteries in electric vehicles as part of a network of energy storage to assist in electrifying Canberra. This will also be a way in which we can improve the reliability of our energy networks.  

He’s keen to avoid the risks of more extreme weather events causing major energy supply disruption, such as in South Australia not long ago. Energy security is sure to become a phrase we’ll all be more familiar with in the not-too-distant future.

PRIDE IN THE CAPITAL

Photo: Andrew Barr #WeAreCBR

When asked what he was most proud of when it comes to LGBTIQ+ policy outcomes, Andrew noted there were many from over the years, including banning conversion practices, implementing reforms to protect LGBTIQ+ people from discrimination, especially in religious educational institutions, enacting legislation to protect the bodily integrity of people born with variations in sex characteristics, and being the first jurisdiction in the nation to release and implement a detailed LGBTIQ+ strategy.

“THERE HAS BEEN GOOD PROGRESS ON PRIORITY ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMUNITY AND I’VE BEEN PROUD TO OVERSEE MANY LEADING REFORMS TOWARDS LGBTIQ+ EQUALITY, AS WELL PRACTICAL CHANGE.”

Andrew says, however, that cultural change is slow and that there is still plenty of work to be done, particularly when it comes to incentives regarding LGBTIQ+ health care, aged care and housing. (ACT Labour polices)

Canberra has undoubtedly earned its place as Australia’s most inclusive city, and our quality of life has not gone unnoticed either. Earlier this year, the city was voted the second-best city in the world to live in by the latest Oxford Economics Global Cities report. Only Grenoble in France outranked Canberra, making it the only Australian city to make the top 10 for quality of life.

Andrew told us that on average, Canberrans live longer, have a higher quality of life, are better educated, have a higher income, have better access to employment opportunities and are happier than the average Australian.

We have world-class healthcare and education systems, and he says Labor is working on a modern transport network for our city’s future.

“THERE HAS BEEN GOOD PROGRESS ON PRIORITY ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMUNITY AND I’VE BEEN PROUD TO OVERSEE MANY LEADING REFORMS TOWARDS LGBTIQ+ EQUALITY, AS WELL PRACTICAL CHANGE.”

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

Photo: Anthony Toms With His Partner Andrew Barr.

When we spoke with Andrew back in 2009, he shared his coming-out story and the difficulties he’d encountered in his life as a result. He thinks things are easier now for people who want to come out, but agrees that this doesn’t apply to everyone. As the first openly gay person to lead an Australian government, Andrew says that the novelty of being openly gay has perhaps worn off.

He wonders if maybe the ACT will be the first jurisdiction to have its second openly gay Chief Minister before any other state or territory in Australia have had their first. Canberra continues to be a progressive place to live.

According to Andrew, Canberra’s first gentleman, Anthony, has taken to his role with aplomb. He has continued to work in a job he loves and has enjoyed the opportunities to accompany Andrew to cool events and meet interesting people. But what you may not know about Anthony is that he is also (mostly) responsible for Andrew’s style. Canberra’s first gentleman makes most of Andrew’s suits and shirts himself, providing an opportunity to showcase his artistic talents in the process.

Andrew says he is allowed to do his own shopping — but only within certain parameters. And I’m sure we’ve all had similar conversations with our own loved ones.

Like many of us juggling busy lives, trying to find a balance between work and life, Andrew and Anthony have come up with a novel way to manage things. Anthony works Sunday to Thursday in his own job, so he’s able to spend Fridays doing his own thing. They spend Saturdays doing things together. Andrew gets a chance for some alone time on Sundays with their fancy Maine Coon cat, Loki, who’s named after the Norse God of mischief. So, we all know who rules that roost!

Fifteen years ago, Andrew told us that life after 50 would include running a boutique cafe bookshop, which would also sell CDs. While this date has passed and technology has surpassed some of his dreams, he concedes he may push the start date of life outside politics a little further.

So, if you live in the ACT electorate of Kurrajong, you just might run into Andrew as he campaigns for the coming election. You might even notice he’s got his own branded gear. Andrew is most proud because he says it’s “stylish yet understated and allows its wearers to move seamlessly from campaigning to other activities”. He’s quite the fashionista, it seems; however, Andrew is absolutely clear that this is most certainly not the start of the Barr leisure-wear brand.

Whilst the t-shirts, hoodies and caps have a clear “AB” prominently displayed on them, Andrew is keen to ensure people know he does not see himself as Canberra’s own superhero.

Some of us might disagree.