Page 434 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 13 February 2013
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things that we want and there are things that we need, and there will always be a debate about what those priorities are.
When I hear Mr Gentleman talking about how Jon Stanhope was up there planting a tree for human rights on Human Rights Day, in what is a $67 million monument, and an icon to Jon Stanhope, it appears, for his Labor colleagues, I have to juxtapose that with some of the priorities of our community: the issues that people face that are well litigated in our health system; the problems that we heard yesterday, for example, with Taylor Primary School; the many footpaths that we have in our community that need addressing; the street tree program that is underfunded. As local members, I am sure that we are all aware of the many issues about which people come to us where there are greater priorities for need in our community.
So it was the wrong decision, but the decision has been made. It is much like what occurred with the Alexander Maconochie Centre. There was a debate and we argued at that time that the money should be spent in our health system. The government said that they needed a jail and there was a debate. That debate was had and there is now a jail. We recognise that and we see the problems in the ACT jail. We could argue backwards and forwards about whether it was the right decision or not, but ultimately it is now about getting on with the job and making sure that those assets, be it the jail or be it the arboretum, are managed to best effect, that they are managed effectively, that they are managed efficiently, for the best use by the people of the ACT.
As I said in my comments yesterday and as I will say consistently, as Zed Seselja has been saying consistently, and as the rest of the Liberal team have been saying consistently, we are very much focused on the needs of our constituents, the people of Canberra—what it is that people need out in the suburbs, be it in Tuggeranong, Belconnen, Gungahlin, Weston Creek, Woden or any other part of Canberra. That is where we are focused, and we are not ashamed of that. Unreservedly, that is our priority.
Sometimes that is not as glamorous perhaps as an arboretum. It is not as glamorous as public art but it is what the community wants. When I speak to people at shopping centres, when I go doorknocking, when I am out at community events, people are not saying to me, “We need a greater focus on human rights, Jeremy.” They do not say to me, “We need more public art,” or “We need a better arboretum.” They are not the issues that are of concern to the people that we represent. They are the concerns of people like Jon Stanhope and his colleagues in ACT Labor and his successor, Katy Gallagher.
When we see a health system where people cannot get into emergency departments in the time frames in which they should, when we see the problems that we have in infrastructure in the city, you have to question what the government’s priorities are. Yesterday there was some discussion in this place about economic performance—how our debt was creeping up. We have seen unemployment rise to the highest levels. So there are issues, and there are issues of expenditure. You can see where governments spend on things that are nice to have but are not required—champagne on a beer budget—and the consequences of that. You can look at examples. You can look at
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