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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 1 Hansard (28 April) . . Page.. 28 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

School curricula must be inclusive and comprehensive, balancing the need for strong fundamentals with an appreciation of the changing demands of a high-technology world. In determining our approach to education, Labor will listen to and learn from those who know about the needs of our children. We will talk to parents and teachers, who, together, are the driving forces in providing our young people with the skills, knowledge and enthusiasm required to make them learners for life. We will also listen to employers in developing higher and continuing education policies which are attuned to the needs of growth areas in the ACT economy. If we are to respond effectively to the challenges of a changing and more competitive world, it is incumbent on government to have in place appropriate education strategies which will prepare us for that brave new world. Labor will hold the Government accountable for its education policies because the future wellbeing of our community is at stake.

The wellbeing of our community also is dependent on a health system which is responsive to the varying needs of the people of Canberra. In this Assembly Labor will hold the Government accountable for providing all Canberrans with equitable access to high-quality health services. As I indicated earlier, a lack of wealth should not impact on the quality of our health. Labor will seek to ensure that the Government supports and maintains community health services as the building blocks of a strong and viable public health system; provides adequate resources to secure a high-quality public hospital system in the ACT; addresses the particular health needs of women, through appropriate support for programs, services and research targeted to women; establishes and maintains appropriate facilities and programs for the treatment of addiction to drugs and alcohol; and improves mental health services in the ACT. From the many discussions I have already had with a large number of Canberrans, it is clear that people expect the Government to deliver a health system that serves the interests of the whole community.

Canberrans also will hold the Government accountable for the safety and security of our community. In this, Labor will join with the community to ensure that the Government delivers on its promises to maintain our city as a safe place in which to live and raise families. The Government has an obligation to adequately resource our police and emergency services to ensure that they have the ability to tackle crime whenever and wherever it occurs. At the same time, the Government must encourage community involvement in addressing the causes of crime and developing strategies to minimise the risk of crime. Directly or indirectly, crime affects us all. As a community, we must work together to alleviate the circumstances which lead to crime. It is incumbent on government to provide leadership in bringing the community together to deal effectively with these issues. We do not pretend that the fight to prevent crime will be easy. That is why the Government must be particularly careful that it does not choose seductively simplistic solutions to complex law and order problems. In particular, the Government must ensure that its solutions to crime do not simply transfer problems out of the reach of cameras and do not make the rights of law-abiding citizens one of the victims of crime.

A further priority for Labor is to ensure that the people of Canberra are provided with services that cater for their growing needs. Whether it is the adequate supply of affordable housing, access to a more efficient public transport system, adequate and appropriate aged care facilities or the development of new community facilities,

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