Page 4666 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 19 October 2010
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had the green grass of home at Bruce. Then we had, of course, trying to put some impetus into the building industry. How about the Hall-Kinleyside affair? Who was a minister during those days? It was not me. I became a mere humble backbencher then, like I am today.
We cannot allow such rank hypocrisy to come across the chamber that we have got to talk about outcomes. What we had to do in the first term of office was undo all of that pain and misery that was perpetrated and visited upon the people of Canberra, particularly in our own electorate. What are we seeing now? We are seeing the Stanhope Labor government over the last nine years injecting huge amounts of money, huge amounts of competence, into things.
I did not hear Mr Smyth say, “Chris Peters does not reckon it is a good idea.” This is because Chris Peters actually does think that what we have done is a good idea. I did not hear him quoting Bob Winnel. Bob Winnel reckons it is a great idea. Go and ask Steve Byron what he thinks of the road out to the airport. What about the confidence to get the money to build the airport? He went to the banks and said, “Can I have some money to build an airport, please? I want a better airport.” The bank said, “We will have to think about the economic environment of the ACT. It is a lot of money. Okay, you can have it.” Terry walked away with the money to build a new airport.
Look at the forest of cranes around the city. What we saw, in fact, when the Liberals were previously in government was a scorched earth policy in the ACT. It was a period of negativity. Everybody was downtrodden, felt miserable and did not think that their kids would have a better start in life than they did. Well, they do now. Our education policies, processes and infrastructure improvements have given the kids an absolute boost.
I can honestly say now that thanks to this Labor government my kids and their kids and their kids after them will have a better start in life than I got when I was a youngster. That is all I asked for to be successful in this place.
Canberra Girls Grammar School
War veterans
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (5.59): I briefly want to make mention of a couple of events I have had the opportunity to attend recently. I had the opportunity on 13 October, along with a number of colleagues including Mr Smyth and Mr Barr, to attend the official opening of the new Clements Hall at Canberra Girls Grammar School. It was great to be welcomed by the grammar community.
We were made to feel very welcome and we heard from Ms Heather Ablett, the head of the junior school, the Reverend Paul Harris, the chaplain at the school, Bruce Handley, the acting principal and David Holmesby, the chairman of the school board, along with Gai Brodtmann who was there as well.
I want to pay tribute to the Canberra Girls Grammar School. I was particularly impressed by the students who were there to welcome us, who made us feel very welcome, and who I think represented Girls Grammar very well on the day. I
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