Page 4328 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 22 September 2010
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Or the Ten Project, also based in Canberra, which is building the Mega City Hero website, an online-based social enterprise that is working to engage kids’ creativity to solve the big issues facing society like climate change and global warming. And new age education websites, like Mathletics, the online interactive teaching aid for children, that was also a Canberra-led innovation.
I am also proud to say that these companies have also received critical development support from our innovation acceleration programs, such as Lighthouse and Innovation Connect. I am also pleased to acknowledge here today the 2010 Telstra ACT business woman of the year, Kate Sykes. Kate is also this year’s Commonwealth Bank business owner of the year and founder of CareerMums, an online job network that helps mothers back into the workforce. CareerMums, established in 2006, now comprises 18,000 candidates and employers. Without doubt, this very important service could not have achieved such success in just four years without an online presence. This is about access, and in this increasingly online business world we need the right infrastructure to create growth. There are many more of these companies in Canberra that will flourish with the platform that NBN will provide.
We can only imagine what will emerge from Canberra’s wellspring of innovation when we have broadband 100 times faster than current services. The national broadband network has the potential to transform all or our lives here in Canberra and, indeed, throughout the whole of Australia. We should embrace the opportunity the national broadband network presents and the businesses that will continue to emerge through having this infrastructure in place across Australia.
Indeed, Mr Speaker, it is a matter of enormous pride for those of us in the Labor Party that it is through the vision of the federal Labor Party—a Labor government—that we are able to participate in this. It is perhaps the most significant nation building initiative that has been pursued in Australia for the last 50 years. Intriguingly, and I think ironically, it is a massive nation building project that is opposed by the Liberal Party.
When I said that it is perhaps the most significant nation building project that has been pursued for the last 50 years I had in mind the Snowy Mountains hydro scheme—the nation building project that is always raised as the obvious example of the role that a federal government can have in building this nation, with vision, with commitment and with courage. Perhaps the greatest example of nation building by a federal government is, and has always been, the Snowy Mountains scheme, generated by a Labor government and opposed by the then Liberal Party in opposition. And here we have it again. What I think is the next greatest example of nation building proposed and delivered by a Labor government is again opposed by the Liberal Party.
This is an excellent motion, drawing attention to the nation building undertaken by the current federal Labor government, opposed by the Liberal Party. How ironic that the Liberal Party would oppose a proposal such as this, so vital to the future of our nation and to the people of our nation. I commend the motion and thank Ms Porter for proposing it.
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