Page 38 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 9 December 2008
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Although I embrace these freedoms, they are only possible in a society that has strong laws that are upheld and enforced fairly and with conviction. Individuals have a responsibility to adhere to our laws, and I will be working to ensure that the police have the powers and the resources to enforce those laws properly.
As we each have a responsibility to adhere to society’s laws, I believe we each have a responsibility to contribute to the society in which we live. We must look after the disadvantaged in our society by providing them with genuine opportunities to succeed, and equally we must avoid any handouts that serve only to satisfy our sense of charity in the short term but ultimately act as a disincentive for advancement. We must foster a sense of aspiration across our society rather than a sense of entitlement.
Much of this sense of purpose in life is formulated at a young age and there is no more important institution than the family. I believe we should support and encourage our families as much as we can but in doing so acknowledge that each family is unique. Mum, dad and the kids is not the only model that works, and those single parents and other family members looking after our young and most vulnerable are equally deserving.
Many of the social problems we face in the ACT, including homelessness, poverty, domestic violence and crime, stem from the three ills of problem gambling, alcohol abuse and illegal drugs. They are complex issues that we need to confront openly and aggressively on a range of fronts, including high-quality education, appropriate laws and compassionate medical and counselling services. To that end, problem gambling is a particular issue that the Labor Party must confront before they can convince me that they speak with moral authority on issues of social justice.
Although I have laid out for the Assembly some of what is important to me, the people of Canberra are less interested in ideological debates occurring in this place than they are in our focusing on the issues that are fundamental to the good governance of the ACT. I refer in particular to the management of health, education, housing, development and the economy.
Turning firstly to health, it is clear that with a growing and ageing population the provision of good health care is the greatest area of risk faced by the ACT. Despite the vast amounts of money we are currently spending, our system is under immense pressure and is failing us in some strategic areas. We must do what we can now to provide better health care but, importantly, we must think long term and be prepared for the increased demands on our system that are predicted.
I look forward to contributing to the health care debate as the shadow minister and intend to present a case for a greater focus on preventative health and primary care in our communities that would in turn reduce pressure on our overstretched hospitals.
Although provision of health care is a large and complex issue, an area where we can all help in an important way is to become organ donors. I encourage us all to do so and to look at how we can make it simpler for the rest of the community to become donors. I thank all of our dedicated health care workers here in the ACT and pay tribute to the wonderful job that they do.
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