Page 1777 - Week 06 - Thursday, 19 May 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, the process of focusing on the centenary is a valuable exercise in its own right which provides the opportunity to think beyond our usual parameters and our own day-to-day concerns. The report the advisory committee eventually hands to the Council of Australian Governments will be both creative and worth while, and will provide significant challenge to all heads of government. The Government is proud of the content of our submission, and we are very pleased with the reaction to it by the Federation Advisory Committee. I present a copy of this statement, and I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the papers.
MRS CARNELL (Leader of the Opposition) (3.32): Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, I would like to use this occasion to speak on the submission that the Opposition gave to the Advisory Committee on the Centenary of Federation and also to support, with great pleasure, the Chief Minister's submission, as I did at the committee hearing. The occasion of the centenary of Federation should symbolise an important step towards national and international recognition of our political, social and economic maturity. It should be both a celebration and a lasting reminder of our development as a progressive democracy over the course of two remarkable centuries of change and growth. Every Australian and every visitor to our country, regardless of age, should be encouraged to participate in events marking the centenary.
As other organisations who made presentations to the committee spoke particularly on a national perspective, the submission that was given by the Liberal Party focused very definitely on the involvement of Canberra and its citizens in this important event. It is interesting to note, and I suppose that we all do, that the earliest strategic vision for Canberra emerged in the Constitution of 1901. It provided for the establishment of a national capital under the control of the new Federal Government. The purposes for which this national capital was established were threefold. They were, first, to serve as a symbol for the union of Australian States; secondly, to provide a neutral forum in which the business of the nation could be undertaken without undue influence from any one State; and, thirdly, to provide a showcase for Australia's new maturity and ability to the world. These principles were very much in evidence when the original design for Canberra was established, and they have remained a strong, guiding element in the city's development ever since.
Our submission, very unashamedly, was parochial. It really did focus totally on Canberra. We believe that it is very important that Canberra become known not only as a place where politicians live but also as the national capital of which every Australian is proud. It is a unique opportunity for us to achieve that. It should be a chance to promote greater recognition internationally of our city as the capital. I am sure that everybody who has been overseas recently, as I have, realises that, when you say that you are from Canberra, people say, "Where?". The centenary of Federation is a unique opportunity for us to promote our capital, our city, Canberra, in an international context. We contend that Canberra should be the focus of the Federation celebrations because, as the Chief Minister said, Canberra is the only child of Federation. The decision to make Canberra the planned capital of Australia was born out of a desire to bring this country together, under one flag and one constitution. Our city embodies this attempt by the architects of Federation.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .