Page 673 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 9 March 2011

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you and better attention to their urban amenity. I commend Mr Coe for bringing this matter to the attention of the Assembly today, and I commend Mr Coe for his diligence in the shadow portfolio of urban services and for the work that he does to ensure that you are kept accountable when you perform so badly.

Question put:

That Mr Stanhope’s amendment be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

MR COE (Ginninderra) (6.30): In closing the debate, we have seen a very defensive and a very emotional Mr Stanhope today. He has thrown everything at us—everything but addressing the issue of a delivery of core services for people of Canberra. He referred to anything but what the debate is actually all about. Perhaps the people of Canberra would have a little bit more confidence in this government and perhaps even in this Assembly if this government focused more on core priorities, on core business, on the actual business of delivering end services to the people of Canberra to make their lives better. How many of Jon Stanhope’s grandiose programs and schemes make the quality of life for Canberrans any better? How many? There are not many at all.

It is interesting that, over the last fortnight or so, we have been having a debate about self-government and about how we interact with our federal counterparts. I just wonder that perhaps if this government had a more service-oriented approach how different this debate would be. How different would the debate be if this government was actually trustworthy? I wonder whether that would change the perception of this place. I wonder how many constituents out there have confidence in this place simply because it has been skewed by the fact that their perception of the Assembly is based on the government. The fact is that this government is a bad government and, therefore, the perception of this place is that it does not operate well.

As I said in my previous speech, I believe the vast majority of Canberrans do not really care about the goings-on of this Assembly. They do not care about politicians; they do not care about budgets or committee processes. They care about the output. They very much care about the output of these bodies and these processes. They want to drive on a smooth road. They want to find a park at their local shops. They want good education. They want their grass mowed. They want to see a doctor when they are sick. These are the core services that people expect from a local authority, and these are the core services which this government refuses to concentrate on.

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