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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 3 Hansard (12 March) . . Page.. 969 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

is taking place there. We need to have true reconciliation of the spirit with our indigenous people. I could go on, but I won't.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I also think that we need to address our role within the federation. It is time for us to challenge our status as second-class citizens in referenda and our underrepresentation in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Individually, we should be saying to our local representatives on both sides of politics-the good Senator Humphries, the good Senator Lundy and our House of Representatives members-that somehow they should use the influence they have and let us not be dependent upon population growth elsewhere. We should have it here for ourselves. I am not suggesting that a motion of this Assembly is needed. I just wanted to raise the issue, which is one of concern to me.

In looking to the future, I envisage a progressive and tolerant city of about half a million people-that is not an unreasonable estimate-that provides employment and housing for every one of them, no matter where they live. We need to make sure that there are jobs for the generations coming along. We also need a second economic food chain. What we have at the moment is almost total dependence on the public sector pay packet: 44 per cent of it comes directly from the public sector pay packet and 54 per cent or something like that comes from the private sector, but that private sector is predominantly dependent on the public sector pay packet. We need some innovation in the ACT to enable us to move away from that dependence, so we need to be creating economic opportunities for exports from this town. Why is that? It is for our kids.

In my view, we have a world-class health system, but we need to do better. We need to stamp out the poverty I was talking about. We need to have a viable public transport system, probably with light rail in it, but we will talk about that later. But, most of all, we need a city that provides all of its kids with the opportunities to realise their potential that I had.

When I came to Australia, I spent six years at a migrant hostel living in a Nissen hut and my father, who is no good with his hands, used to make my Christmas presents and my mother used to sew them. At the end of the day, I am standing here with you and I have a degree and I am fortunate enough and honoured enough to represent people in this Assembly. I would not have had that opportunity in any other country in the world, nor any other community in this country. It was Canberra that delivered that for me and I want the same Canberra to deliver that to my grandkids. I am pretty sure that it can.

Canberra has suffered a lot in the last few months, which makes it even more important that we celebrate the good things about the town, including the strength of its citizenry. I have told a humorous story about people standing in the ashes of the bushfires and laughing about some of the funny things that went on. The strength of those people was phenomenal. We need to celebrate that. Canberra has turned 90. We can celebrate that, of course, and look forward to the centenary. I hope to be sticking around until then. With a bit of luck, I will be pestering the opposition at that time.

In looking back, we should look at some of the landmarks. We all know about the biggies, such as Parliament House, the old one being built in 1927 and the new one in 1988. Burley Griffin came along in 1963. Tuggeranong was settled in 1974. Self-

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