Page 1007 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 2 May 2006
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high quality facilities and infrastructure, access to current information technology, and supportive and involved parents.
To maintain a viable public school system we must ensure that government schools can provide uniform quality of the highest standard across the territory. This inevitably means making difficult decisions about closing schools in some parts of Canberra. The current arrangements are working against the equitable provision of resources throughout the system.
Our public education system is among the best in the world but, like all institutions, it needs renewal so we can continue to deliver high quality educational outcomes for students in the ACT. A quality education opens the door to employment opportunities and choice for our citizens.
Like most Australians, I am deeply concerned about the Howard government’s extreme new industrial relations system that will see a reduction in wages and conditions for many workers in our community—and a reduction in choice. Under the draconian WorkChoices changes it is the vulnerable workers in our society who will experience wage reductions and the deterioration of their working conditions.
I oppose a system that will see some of our lowest paid workers struggle even more to balance work and family life and to make ends meet. I also oppose a system that prevents unions from representing their members—unions that have fought for generations to build up the protections for these workers. It is thanks to the union movement that workers have a voice and decent conditions.
Good government has a role in protecting workers and ensuring there is an independent umpire to deal with industrial disputes. This is one of the reasons why I am in the Labor Party and why, as part of this government, I will continue to oppose these laws.
None of us would be in this chamber if we did not share the belief that Canberra is a great place to live and work. Canberra’s role as the national capital has always meant there have been people interested in visiting our city to experience the national monuments or to see the federal parliament at work. We need to encourage those people who visit for a weekend to come back and explore the many other attractions Canberra has to offer outside the parliamentary triangle.
Canberra’s growing food and wine industries provide a perfect weekend escape from the traffic jams of Sydney. As do our sporting events and festivals. We need to work smarter in the way we promote our city to the rest of the country. There is more to see in this city than what people remember from their “year 6” tour of the national capital.
One of the best attractions Canberra has is its strong sense of community. Nowhere is this more evident than when we come together to follow the fortunes of our elite sporting teams and also when we come together at a local oval to cheer on the junior cricket side or netball team.
Sport plays an integral part in developing our sense of community. It brings people together and in many cases enables us to meet new people and establish friendships. Sport has many benefits to the people of Canberra. It encourages a healthy lifestyle, it
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