Page 3734 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 29 October 2014
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Madam Assistant Speaker, we have been assessed by the OECD as the world’s most livable city, and we do not have light rail. I can assure you that there are many cities that are far less livable than the ACT that do have light rail. So enough of that nonsense and the false premise that Mr Rattenbury is trying to put forward about how somehow light rail is all of a sudden going to turn Canberra into a more livable city when the evidence is exactly the opposite.
MS BURCH (Brindabella—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Disability, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Racing and Gaming, Minister for Women and Minister for the Arts) (11.28): I thank Dr Bourke for moving this motion today and for allowing us to have this discussion in the Assembly. I am pleased to speak on the motion today, not because it is about any one issue or problem or its solution but because at its core it is about who has the demonstrated leadership and foresight to lead this city into the second century. This is a government with a clear agenda—a government with a very full program of development and reform—an agenda that will see this city grow and thrive for years to come.
All too often governments and politicians are accused of only having a short-term vision at the expense of long-term interest for the community, and I think our vision and our commitment to this community show that this government have not done that, nor will we do that. Whether it be light rail, needs-based funding for our schools, disability reform, health, asbestos remediation or a score of other areas, this is a government that is active, engaged and focused on Canberra’s future. And while it may be true that not every person in the ACT agrees with every element of our agenda, no-one doubts that we have a vision and an active program to get there.
We will not play the short-term, populist game that those opposite have mastered. This side of the chamber is about building this city to ensure that it remains a vibrant city that we love well and that it will thrive in its second century. This side of the chamber is about providing services and infrastructure that ensures all Canberrans can participate and prosper. This side of the chamber is about the long term. We are about vision, foresight and action. Indeed it was Tony Abbott who said:
Oppositions complain; governments decide. It’s much easier to complain than it is to decide.
And certainly we see consistently and constantly that the Canberra Liberals are an exemplar of the oppositions that the Prime Minister speaks about. In the 10 years that they have sat on that side of the chamber they have not offered any great vision for this city. Take, for example, the issue of child care. The Canberra Liberals are very quick to run around and talk on cost, often ignoring the fact that the majority of centres are community-based organisations. But when it comes to solutions they are very light on the ground.
In contrast to that, this government has put in place a comprehensive plan to expand early childhood education in this city. It is a plan that has included multiple policy dimensions and it is a plan to support Canberra families who need accessible and affordable early childhood education. We have worked with industry to expand the workforce, while simultaneously investing in expanding existing centres and on a land release scheme that has targeted the construction of new centres.
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