Canberra was hit by bushfires in January 2003 . Four people died and 500 houses were destroyed . Stanhope faced a no-confidence motion in the Assembly from the Liberal opposition , which if passed meant he would have been forced to resign as Chief Minister . Instead , the motion was downgraded to a censure motion by the combined vote of the ALP and the Democrats and passed in the Assembly . The coronial inquest into the bushfire was released in mid-December 2006 , and found significant bureaucratic failings contributed to the devastation , although it also claimed shortcomings at a political level
bushfires in January 2003
2003 Canberra bushfires
Jon Stanhope