Page 28 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 7 December 2004
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represent the interests of the environment and those groups whose needs often fall through the gaps in the policy net. I will make every effort to maintain a sense of humour and to respect all people I come into contact with, both inside and outside the Assembly.
I am one of a growing number of people who have been drawn to Canberra from the broader region. This city is the centre of a very large area that stretches not only north, east and west but also south beyond the Victorian border to east Gippsland. People come here from far afield to shop, and for specialist medical, dental and hospital care. A number come here for educational reasons. I arrived in 1985 as a sole parent with two young teenagers to utilise Canberra’s excellent high schools.
My children had previously attended primary school in a one-teacher school and they needed a caring school with good pastoral care. After viewing a number of schools I selected one that filled the bill. Sadly, due to demographic changes, it no longer exists. That school fulfilled my expectations and my older daughter went from there, through college, to tertiary education. Thanks to the strength of the ACT education system and her experience since, she now has a challenging position in local government.
I will certainly work in the Assembly to ensure that our schools and other educational institutions are able to assist all children to reach their potential, regardless of their backgrounds. During the 20 years or so I have lived here, I have juggled parenting, study, teaching and other paid work. Subsisting on a low income has given me direct insight into many of the issues facing those who live in poverty in our city. I have learned that the best way to increase the quality of life for low income people is to ensure that they have access to high-quality services like public education, health, transport and housing. Only from a secure base can people participate in employment and improve their educational standard. I will work in the Assembly to ensure that all have access to good social services, regardless of their situation in life, and that the conditions of people working within the community sector allow them, in turn, to do their work without personal cost.
We all need to be able to participate in cultural and recreational activities, even if we cannot afford to go to the movies or purchase tickets to star performers. Art needs to be encountered in everyday life; children need access to music, drama and dance, and to participate in the creation of art and performance. At the same time, artists need to be paid fairly for their work. I will work in the Assembly and community to increase the recognition given to the arts in the territory.
Regardless of our circumstances, we all rely upon the services performed by the natural environment in safeguarding the air we breathe and the water we drink, in absorbing wastes and providing a place for physical and spiritual exploration. Furthermore, we all benefit from the biodiversity of the broad range of ecosystems within and outside the ACT. And many of us believe that natural ecosystems have the right to exist even where their benefit to humanity is not directly evident. As great travellers, Canberra people actively seek out the environments of the broader region—mountains, coast, rivers, forests and grasslands.
While the businesses in our region benefit from our explorations, we need to be aware of the environmental footprint we leave. Developing a regional consciousness may include, for some of us, being active to protect the forests and beaches which give us so much
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