Page 3401 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 21 October 2014
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Schedule 1
Ms Rebecca Cuzzillo
Madam Acting Speaker, I would like to thank you and my fellow members for the opportunity to deliver my inaugural speech today in the ACT Legislative Assembly. I would like to begin by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet and pay my respects to the elders past and present.
It is with great excitement and honour that I stand before you today, an elected member of the ACT Legislative Assembly. I would like to thank my family, friends and everyone who helped me get here, particularly TEDxCanberra who organised this day for us.
As a Canberran born and bred, my passion for seeing this city thrive runs deep. There is so much to love about this city. Throughout my lifetime I have seen Canberra grow in many ways, but I believe that there has never been a more exciting time than right now. This week we have seen Canberra gain international recognition as the “best place in the world to live”. Earlier in the year the New York Times described Canberra as having a “decidedly hipster underbelly”, a description that not only challenges all those who say our city is “boring”, but advocates the complete opposite. At the moment there is an air of excitement in Canberra. It is a city on the cusp of change, a city aware of its own potential. I could think of no better time to be elected to the Assembly.
My vision for Canberra is one of a sustainable, vibrant and prosperous city for all Canberrans, and I want to emphasise here “all” Canberrans. My background in the community sector might betray my strong social justice values, but I strongly believe that we will only see Canberra reach its full potential as a city when all members of the community have the opportunity to thrive. A rich and vibrant Canberra relies on the rich and vibrant contributions of not just a few but all of its people.
A person’s opportunities should not be determined by their postcode or background. Whether you are living in far West Belconnen, the deep depths of south Tuggeranong or somewhere in the inner suburbs, all Canberrans deserve to live a full and prosperous life.
There are many issues that I could highlight today, but I want to focus on education. We have much to be proud about when it comes to education in Canberra. We have the highest education attainment rate in the country, but as a community there is still some work to do and works is what I intend.
As an independently elected member with significant influence in the Assembly, I intend to make education a top priority for the ACT government. Access to quality education and training is widely recognised as one of the key ways we can ensure
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