Page 3584 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 19 October 1993
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MS ELLIS (4.03): I have become progressively more and more interested in this 2020 process since it began in August of last year.
Mr Kaine: That started from zero interest last year, did it?
MS ELLIS: Before it existed you probably had zero interest too, Mr Kaine. The three reports that were tabled during its progress and the final reports tabled in August deserve far more serious consideration than the flippancy that has been coming from the other side today. Maybe there is just a mood over there at the moment and they cannot resist the temptation to joke. I really think that there are some fairly serious considerations in these reports.
Peter Ellyard, the chair of the Canberra in the Year 2020 Reference Group, is an incredibly highly regarded person in this country. I think that any report that he has anything to do with deserves a much better reception than we have heard today. For instance, just in passing, I noticed the hilarity that Mrs Carnell attempted to bring on with the change of the name of the War Memorial to a name reflective of peace. That may occur and it may not occur. I do not think it is important if it does not occur. What I think is important is that there is such a consideration in the community and among the people consulted in this process; that they would even imagine that the world in which we live could move towards a peaceful environment at some stage in the year 2020.
Mrs Carnell: That is why we have a war memorial.
MS ELLIS: If you stop talking and listen you might pick up a few tips, because, frankly, you do not know it all.
The other funny comment I want to mention - I am looking for the reference - is about the "city of parrots". Yes, sure, there might be a funny ring about that, but there are some parts of this world where people cannot see one bird, native or exotic, in a day, a week, or a month. I am really taking you literally, Mrs Carnell. If you stand up and make these comments in this house, then I think that they are deserving of some sort of comment back. I could not care less, frankly, if Canberra becomes known as the city of parrots. At the moment I do not think we are looking at a future where we have acid rain to worry about. We are not looking at a future where birds are going to disappear. I think it would be wonderful if it became known as the city of parrots, or the city of eagles, or the city of brolgas, or whatever. I really do not think that those sorts of comments - - -
Mr Cornwell: We are not looking at a future at all under your administration.
Mr Westende: As long as they are not Indian mynas.
MS ELLIS: Madam Speaker, I really would like a little bit of order over there because I think this is a far more serious debate than the Opposition are pretending it to be. I have not paid as much attention to the "Vision for Prosperity" report as I have to the yellow covered one, "Choosing our Future". The reason is that there are some subjects in here that are of great interest to me. Under the "Social Development" heading there are some aims and some targets that I think are really worth noting in a debate such as this. People in this place and people who happen to listen to what is said in this place need to be reminded of them. I quote:
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