Page 1464 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 24 March 2010
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Other important things to talk about are artwork. That is something which I am pleased to see the government has done in previous upgrades. It is one of the things that are very controversial, but it is one of the things that make the local shopping centres interesting places to go. Even if you do not like the artwork, at least you can go and see it and say what a waste of money it was. It makes it something to talk about. It is something lively and interesting, rather than having a sterile office or a sterile set of shops.
Finally, in closing, I would say that one of the reasons the Greens support local shopping centres and sustainable transport is food miles. There has been a lot of discussion about food miles, that we should not be buying whatever it is that is fully imported from Norway or flown from California or whatever. But the studies that have been done show that, for most food purchases, the major transport impact is not the impact of getting the food from the producer to the retailer, it is getting it from the retailer to the shopper.
If we have local shopping centres that actually work—if people can walk, ride their bikes, catch a bus or even drive a short distance to the local shopping centre—it can help to significantly reduce the energy that we spend on shopping and buying things. This is one of the many things we need to do to make a city more sustainable. In the interests of time I will conclude at this point. It would be nice to give Mr Stanhope a go and then we can—
MR SPEAKER: Before we proceed—I will come to you in a minute, Mr Doszpot—there seems to be some confusion, members. If I can perhaps seek your guidance. I have an amendment on my table—
Mr Stanhope: I have just discussed that with the Clerk.
MR SPEAKER: That is fine.
Mr Stanhope: Ms Le Couteur and I came to an agreed position.
Ms Le Couteur: Yes.
Mr Stanhope: I apologise for the mistake.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you. Mr Doszpot, you have the floor.
MR DOSZPOT (Brindabella) (8.47): I am pleased to speak in support of Mr Seselja’s motion today. The ACT government, led by Mr Stanhope, is responsible for the current look of our city and it is a very tired look, Mr Stanhope—similar to the look of your government. I am constantly hearing from constituents about the state of our city and our neighbourhoods. It is an issue that is brought to my attention every time I visit a shopping centre, every time I attend a community council meeting and often through representations from constituents.
Mr Stanhope: There is no more beautiful city in the world.
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