Page 2990 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 12 October 2022
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everything. Again, I remind members that the ability to report via Fix My Street does not take away the responsibility of every MLA in this place to represent their constituents. It is not up to us to say, “No, you can go online if you have a computer and you are okay using a computer; just go online and report it via Fix My Street.” It is my responsibility to take up that issue for my constituents. That is the way I view it, and that is why I write all these letters—mostly to Mr Steel, but also to other ministers in this place.
Whilst we have laughed a bit about the memes and the social media—Canberra Potholes, et cetera—it is not always a laughing matter. Some people are taking matters into their own hands. They are drawing pictures, sometimes a bit saucy, around potholes. And while we can laugh at that, it is actually quite dangerous to go out on the road with a bit of paint. I heard another story about someone who was driving around sticking posts into potholes to warn people they were there. That is dangerous for them and dangerous for other motorists, but this is the level that people are going to because they are so disturbed, upset and concerned that nothing is being done for them.
This amendment does not cover a blitz, like in an election year. This amendment does not give any faith to Canberra residents that things are going to get better, and quickly. In fact, Mr Steel confirmed in his speech that he wants to use—will use and has used—the cheapest possible road resurfacing treatment. When I was being brought up, my mum used to say, “You pay for what you get, and you get what you pay for.” When you take the cheapest possible approach, it usually lasts the shortest possible time. It is a basic rule that I think most of us were brought up on. When you take a cheap approach, and you have to do it over and over again, perhaps it is not cheap in the end; perhaps it does end up being a bit more expensive. Although Mr Steel likes to take the cheapest possible approach, that is offset at the other end by the claims that motorists are making. It is not a huge amount as yet, but I bet that it is building up every day, from those people who have enough IT knowledge, time and energy to try to pursue the online claim. This is something that we could do a lot better.
I spoke about my amendment first, and then separately to close, because I wanted to give Mr Steel time to think about adding that information into the Our CBR newsletter—the Our CBR newsletter that those on the other side of the chamber fought so hard for recently. They said that it was important for older Canberrans, for example. Older Canberrans are often the ones who have spoken to us about the damage to their vehicles and the difficulty in accessing the on-line claim form. It is a matter of them saying what they want in one case but the government not actually doing it in the end.
I hope that those on the other side of the chamber feel a little shame-faced about how they used that situation to justify something that was not the case whatsoever. If they truly believed what they have said about older Canberrans, for example, they would put this information in their Our CBR newsletter. But, no, once again it is all talk and
no action—both on the Our CBR newsletter and on potholes generally. I am very disappointed in the response to this quite straightforward motion today.
Mr Steel’s amendment agreed to.
Original question, as amended, resolved in the affirmative.
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