Page 63 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 7 April 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
He went on to say:
The people of Canberra must no longer be denied the right of governing their own affairs.
It is almost 41 years since Jim Fraser made that speech and for all but the last three years the people of the ACT were continually denied that right to govern their own affairs. But now we have demonstrated to the rest of Australia that we are grown up enough to make our own decisions and to plan our own future. Without this demonstration and acceptance of maturity we would not be able to grow as a Territory, as a distinctive and vital community. Our education and health systems, law and order, architecture and planning, everything, would continue to be decided not by people who live here but by everybody else, from Perth, to Darwin, to Rockhampton. I want to make my own decisions and I want to make them with the community in which I live.
I know that some sections of the community are still cynical about self-government, for many reasons. Some of these reasons are devious, some out of concern for the Canberra community; but I also know that, with three years of stable, accountable government led by Rosemary Follett, the long and often emotional debate on self-government will at last be put totally to rest. It is therefore with a great deal of pride and anticipation that I look forward to representing the people of the ACT and in particular the people of the Tuggeranong Valley.
I believe that it is important to have a vision when in politics. It is not enough to say, as a politician, "I want to represent the community", because by definition that is what we are elected and paid to do. It is our job. What must come hand-in-hand with wanting to represent the community is a vision and a firm belief in how and why.
I represent the community through the Australian Labor Party because I believe in the ALP philosophy - social justice, equality, basic human rights, compassion and assistance to those in need, the philosophy on which the ALP was founded 101 years ago. I believe in progress and change for the good of the whole community. I believe in the rights of all individuals, not only those who are powerful and have the loudest voices. I am here because the ordinary people must have a voice in government. That is why I represent the community as a member of the Australian Labor Party.
In the ACT we have the best education system in the country. We must work to maintain and develop this system into the future. Our health system, currently in a transitional phase because of our changing community, must also change and grow. I know that under the Follett Labor Government Canberrans will have a high standard of modern health care. It is also important that we preserve the unique environment that is Canberra. However, this modern city must develop as it grows. We should not fear our developing future, but learn to adapt to our changing needs.
I have a long association with Tuggeranong, both professionally and at a personal level. As a result, I have had the privilege of participating in the growth and development of one of the fastest growing urban areas in Australia. I believe that the Tuggeranong Valley embodies the very spirit of modern day Canberra. It was
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .