Page 867 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 18 March 2015
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As we all know, Canberra is a growing, vibrant and increasingly diverse community. We have momentum in our community and in our economy. It is momentum for progress and momentum for all. Our character has been defined by our progressive and accepting approach to people from all over the world and from all walks of life. We understand that inclusion is not only a matter of fairness and justice but also about growth and opportunities so that inclusion contributes to the lives of everyone in our community. We understand that it builds capital in our community and our economy. As we continue to grow, it is vital that we do not lose this essential piece of our character—our inherent inclusiveness, our inherent sense of equality. We know how much Canberrans value this aspect of our city.
As my colleagues have said, inclusion and equality are among the most worthy of aspirations. Without them, as a government and as a community we cannot ensure that everyone reaches their potential. As we start to include more people in our efforts to grow our economy and our community, we start to unleash the potential of all our citizens. Our people are Canberra’s greatest capital resource, the competitive advantage on which we build our future success. Just imagine how much more we can do when, as you noted, Madam Deputy Speaker, the Indigenous person feels included; when, as Ms Berry noted, the parent feels they can contribute more to their P&C; and when, as Mr Barr noted, the person in the same-sex relationship feels free to walk down the street holding hands with their partner. We should do what we can to make sure all their potential is realised.
As with any aspiration, we achieve it in many ways. It is important, of course, for our policy and legal frameworks to reflect this inclusion, as it is for our programs and services to reflect it. In some ways, this is an easier part. As leaders in the community, Assembly members have an important role, alongside many other community and business leaders, to promote inclusion. As other members have noted, changing our culture in this way is one of the harder things we have to do. Debates like today’s debate are a part of that. Updates to the Assembly are important to remind us that we must always be mindful of keeping the Assembly informed on important issues such as social inclusion.
As Dr Bourke’s motion outlines, this government is committed to reflecting the inclusiveness of Canberrans by implementing a comprehensive social inclusion agenda. The Barr government continues the good work of the Gallagher and Stanhope governments. Their achievements include the Marriage Equality (Same Sex) Act 2013. The passing of this bill represented the first time any jurisdiction in Australia passed any form of same-sex marriage legislation. I hope we have the opportunity to see it fully realised. There is the Human Rights Act. The ACT was the first jurisdiction in Australia to enact a human rights act, which provides an explicit statutory basis for respecting, protecting and promoting the civil and political rights of all Canberrans. And there is the NDIS. The ACT was one of the first jurisdictions to sign up to the NDIS. We did so to provide certainty to all those living with a disability and those who care for them. As other members have noted, other recent Labor achievements include the human services blueprint; the step up for our kids program; and, under the better services banner, the one human services gateway, the strengthening families program and the local services network at west Belconnen that is a model for local service delivery.
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