Page 3970 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 1 December 2021
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
We are a steadily growing territory here, and ensuring that the land we have to develop is not left to stagnate on the shelf is extremely important. Our community deserves the security of knowing that, when the government approves a development on a certain piece of land, the community can benefit from that approved service. This is true for all development.
I am sure every electorate across Canberra has one example. For us in Yerrabi, it includes the Giralang shops. We need a mechanism to ensure that developers can be held to account if they do not develop what they say they will do in the time that they have been given to do it. We cannot afford to let another generation of kids grow up and move out before this is done. This is not just a problem; it is an opportunity to get this right. So for little Emily and for all Gungahlin residents, let us not just live in Gungahlin; let us live in Gungahlin.
MS CASTLEY (Yerrabi) (3.20): In Mr Pettersson’s motion calling on his own government to honour an election commitment made in 2012—yes, 2012—he refers to a recent article in which he claims this is an issue he is deeply passionate about, not just passionate about or very passionate, but deeply passionate. The point I do not understand is that Mr Pettersson was an MLA in the last Assembly. He was elected on 26 October 2016. What, if anything, did Mr Pettersson do in the last Assembly about an issue he claims he is deeply passionate about?
As I said earlier, having a cinema in Gungahlin is a promise, an election promise. This government made it, way back in 2012. I refer to an article dated 26 November 2013 where our now Chief Minister, Andrew Barr, announced that work would commence in mid-2014—more than seven years ago. It was a seven-screen cinema for more than 2,000 patrons.
These government announcements are always made with such fanfare, aren’t they? The government trumpet that they are delivering on their election commitments, rah, rah, rah. The problem is: rarely is there ever any follow-up. But, thanks to Mr Pettersson bringing forward this motion today, we can shine a spotlight on the issue and ask Mr Pettersson, along with Mr Barr, “Where is the cinema you promised way back in 2012?”
Let us revisit Mr Barr’s words when he announced the cinema in late 2013:
Delivering on this election promise is yet another example of the Labor government’s continued commitment to the growth of the Gungahlin town centre.
The problem is: the government has spectacularly failed to deliver its election commitment but still expects Canberrans to believe it is committed to the growth of the Gungahlin town centre. What a joke! We all know that actions speak louder than words, and all too often from this government we get bombarded with words. As for the action, we just wait in hope.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video