Page 103 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 8 February 2022

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COVID into a hidden lockdown here in the ACT. I am confident that we will see ongoing improvement in economic activity, but, more importantly, there will be ongoing improvement in social connection and community resilience and wellbeing as COVID cases decrease in the community.

This is why we must continue to reduce community transmission through vaccination and boosters and through reasonable public health regulations that support those most at risk in our community, including by providing rapid antigen tests to in-home disability support and aged-care workers and to NGOs providing essential services such as domestic and family violence crisis services and homelessness; and support community food relief services; and resource mental health and wellbeing. That is why I support Minister Cheyne’s amendment.

MS CASTLEY (Yerrabi) (4.16): I ask the ministers to refer to CommSec—I think it is page 5—and google the ABS data, but I am not going to bat back and forth on the figures. The fact is that my motion here today is calling on the government to release an updated economic recovery plan. Now, I am not asking them to give business more money. The government has done that. I am asking for a plan—for a vision—which is what the business owners want.

Let us review some of the feedback I spoke about earlier. What did we hear? “It is dire.” “It is woeful.” “It is just so quiet.” “It has never been worse.” “The sooner we can see a plan, the better off business will be.” That is what this motion is about. It is not about a thanks-for-the-memories sentiment and, “We are sorry; some businesses are just going to deal with closures because of the pandemic.” It is about vision and planning. I do not know how many times I have managed to say that in these last few seconds, but that is the sentiment of my motion today.

I would love the Chief Minister and Minister Cheyne to chat to the businesses—not all of them, of course; there are thousands—and ask the business owners they grab their coffees from, “How are things going? How is the V-shaped recovery going?” I would use those words with them. I am sure that they would look at you with a blank face.

So, in closing, I would like to remind the Assembly again that my motion is about future planning for business in Canberra. I am disappointed they are not going to get that today.

Question put:

That the amendment be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

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