We got the message on need for change in govt's style, Barr says

But Andrew Barr said "time will tell" whether a more dynamic Legislative Assembly will deliver better government for the territory.

"In some instances, yes, the contest of ideas of what was previously playing out around the cabinet table will play out in the Assembly chamber," Mr Barr said.

"There'll be a little bit more visibility of that. Again, it will depend on how hard particular members of the Assembly want to push particular issue."

Members will need to decide how they pick their battles and whether they are prepared to support good ideas on their merit or whether they seek to play raw politics, he said.

The way the Legislative Assembly operates may come to more closely resemble the functioning of the Senate, the Chief Minister suggested.

"The downside will be that in the parliament, no one else will feel they have a stake in government decision, so, you know, in theory you could have four oppositions: Liberal, Green and one or two of the independents," Mr Barr said.

Mr Barr, the last COVID-era leader in Australia, heads a rare incumbent government that was re-elected in 2024. Labor hung on to power despite a swing of about 3.5 per cent against the party.

The Chief Minister acknowledged in an interview with The Canberra Times Labor had work to do in particular parts of the city where support for the party had cooled.

"But the baseball bats didn't come out. A slap around the chops, but not a knockout blow is probably how you would summarise it," he said of the election result.

Labor will now govern in minority, after supply and confidence deals were struck with the Greens and Kurrajong independent Thomas Emerson, but will now no longer share the cabinet table with members of the Greens.

Mr Barr said during the campaign he heard from swinging Labor voters in outer suburban areas of the ACT they were sick of the Greens and Labor's partnership with the minor party.

But in the inner-city areas, he said, swinging Labor voters had wanted the reverse.

"The interesting thing in our election was there are also swings against the Liberals and the Greens, so the sense of people wanting some change in the Assembly was clear, but not necessarily changing the government. And they got that result, really," Mr Barr said.

Mr Barr said a lot of conversations with people who wanted to put an independent candidate first on their ballot paper were engaged on policy issues, eager to ensure they didn't inadvertently support a conservative government.

"That was particularly relevant for people who didn't vote Labor this time but were never going to vote for the Liberals, thought the Greens were too extreme and so were looking for a, if you like, safe harbour that wasn't going to change the government but was going to send a message," he said.

"And a message was sent and a message has been received. There's no doubting that."

READ MORE:

The Greens walked away from post-election negotiations with Labor without entering into cabinet, with the minor party declaring Labor had been unwilling to budge in talks.

"What we've done in recent years is much of that negotiation has taken place through the cabinet process. More of it will be more visible now in the sense that the Labor Party will take their decisions in cabinet, and then they'll need to work with other members of the Assembly," Greens leader Shane Rattenbury told ABC radio in November.

Mr Barr said the structure of government can change and it should over time. The government will also this year make a series of changes to the public service.

"It's important to have fresh sets of eyes in particular areas, but equally, you do need some continuity and understanding, particularly of federal-state relations because that drives such a big part of the budget and service-delivery priority," he said.