Talks have halted on a Canberra region city deal but ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr is hopeful upcoming NSW byelections and the federal election will put it back on the table.
Mr Barr said it was crucial for the ACT to work with the surrounding region to work together to progress economic development in transport, infrastructure, education and health care.
It came as NSW Labor leader Chris Minns was in Queanbeyan on Monday as part of an effort to urge voters to lodge a protest vote in the upcoming Monaro byelection. The Monaro byelection will take place this Saturday, prompted by the resignation of Nationals member and former deputy premier John Barilaro.
Bryce Wilson is the Labor candidate in the byelection. The Nationals candidate is Nichole Overall.
Mr Barr joined Mr Minns and Mr Wilson in Queanbeyan to endorse the Labor candidate. The Chief Minister stressed the importance of strong cross-border relationship.
"Canberra is fundamental to the region, but it's part of a region and we recognise from an ACT perspective, the importance of the region's success," he said.
The ACT government has worked with 10 surrounding NSW local councils to advocate for a city deal for the region.
City deals are a partnership between three levels of government to align certain polices to help drive economic development. The program was created by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
In the lead-up to 2019 NSW and federal elections, Mr Barr and the Canberra Region Joint Organisation called for the incoming governments to support a plan for the deal.
Mr Barr said the proposal had ran out of steam in recent years but he continued to advocate for the deal.
"It ran out of puff after Malcolm Turnbull left the prime ministership. I've raised it a number of times with the current Prime Minister. I think I'll have more luck if there's a change of Prime Minister in a few months and it will come as no surprise that I'm advocating for that as well," he said.
"But it will make a difference here in Monaro to have a constructive voice at the table, because it is the region that needs to be the beneficiary of such a deal."
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Mr Barilaro won the Monaro seat in 2019 with a margin of 11.6 per cent. Mr Wilson, who was recently elected as a Queanbeyan-Palerang councillor, was also Labor's candidate in this election. But Mr Minns said he believed Mr Wilson had a chance.
He said voters in Monaro had an opportunity to send a message to the current NSW government over its handling of the Omicron outbreak.
"If a conservative candidate is re-elected in this seat, or any other seats of those by elections, nothing will change in this state," Mr Minns said.
"They've got an opportunity to send a message. It won't change the government, but it will change the direction of the NSW government.
"If you're concerned about whether it's the COVID-19 management since Gladys Berejiklian left the premiership ... then I urge you to lodge a protest vote. Send a message to the NSW Premier, make the government listen and acknowledge that change needs to take place."
