Page 2793 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 17 August 2005
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
pleased that the celebration was an outstanding success, not just in acknowledging the enormous debt that we as a community and Australia as a whole owe to those Australian men and women who were part of the defence of Australia—indeed, of freedom and liberty throughout the world—during the Second World War, but also the opportunity for Canberra to come together as a community, which it certainly did, to an extent that we perhaps have never before seen in the ACT.
On Sunday, up to 100,000 people, the vast majority being Canberrans, joined together as a community on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin to celebrate Victory in the Pacific. There were aspects of that celebration, namely, the coming together of the Canberra community, where I perceived the joyousness within the community. An enormous number of Canberrans—one-third of our entire population—gathered together on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin for a fantastic celebration of our community. It was a wonderful feeling, and a wonderful time. That expresses at one level, and goes to the heart of the sort of community that we are seeking to achieve through our dedication to planning, as evidenced by the Canberra plan and the Canberra social plan, a community that is inclusive and a community where everybody has an opportunity to participate, and where we share the great benefits of that sense of spirit of community. I think Sunday at Lake Burley Griffin was a great reflection of the strength of our community—a strength that we seek to support through the Canberra plan and the Canberra social plan.
Other actions that the government has taken that I am particularly proud of, and that are very significant in terms of the sort of community we want, as was expressed this last weekend, is the implementation of the Human Rights Act—the enshrining in legislation a statement of the rights that are fundamental to every Canberran and, indeed, to every human being—and the release of important visionary plans to improve services to people with a disability. It is very important that the momentum we have generated since the building our community document was launched be maintained and strengthened; that everyone regard it as a living and breathing operational document that helps underpin the collective consciousness of government and the community in reaching the goals we have sought to achieve.
The Canberra plan’s vision underpins the collective consciousness of the government and the community to create a place in which all people reach their potential, make a contribution and have the opportunity to share in a fair and just society. The government is committed to creating a community that lives, works and socialises together; a community that is safe, prosperous and fair-minded; and a community that supports Canberra’s greatest asset—that is, the people who live here. The Canberra plan theme is about investing in our people, and it is indicative of the government’s commitment to develop a place where we do not stop learning, where quality education and training is a priority, and where the health and wellbeing of our community is of the utmost importance.
One of the major achievements, as I indicated earlier, in the first year of the Canberra plan was the successful establishment of the Gungahlin Child and Family Centre. This is a prime example of the government’s commitment to supporting Canberra’s children and focussing on early childhood development. Over 1,000 families have to date access to services through the Gungahlin Centre, including a range of developmental programs, health and education services and parenting and family support programs. Due to the success of the centre, the government has now committed additional funds in this year’s
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .