Page 1684 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 13 May 2015
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Madam Deputy Speaker, you are either for a modern, growing, sustainable city or you are not. If you are for these things, you have to do something. You have to make decisions, a range of decisions, that when taken together deliver the future that Canberra needs, decisions that this year alone invest over $2.5 billion in health and education, $328 million in our economy, $693 million in our municipal services in upgrading and renewing our urban environment and investing in a modern sustainable roads and transport network, and $968 million in supporting our most vulnerable and providing more opportunities to more people.
If you are against these things, what do you stand for? Standing by and hoping our city recovers on its own from the brutal job cuts that have been inflicted on us in the past two years in particular? Standing by when the commonwealth government cuts $600 million in health funding over the long term? Just saying no and taking the easy path of opposition?
If you are for these things but do not have a plan and will not make decisions, what will you do? That brings me to the Canberra Liberals. What plan do they have and what decisions will they make? So far, all we have heard are vague promises from the opposition to at some point this year—over 2½ years into a term—outline a plan for a modern and sustainable transport system. So far, other than outright opposition, all we have seen is a picture of Mr Coe happily showcasing Audis in a rather odd stunt, as if all Canberrans knew the average cost of an Audi as opposed to a Mazda or a Holden.
As far as the decisions they will make are concerned we know one thing: we know they have already signalled their intention to do serious damage to the investment environment in Canberra and to Canberra’s emerging reputation as a city of choice for investors—investors that look for a smart workforce, an open government, less red tape and a government willing and able to partner with global infrastructure companies. We know they seem willing to support sovereign risk and do great damage to the ACT’s economic reputation, but I will return to this point later.
The ACT Labor government have a clear plan for this city and its future. We understand the importance of public transport infrastructure when it comes to meeting the needs of our growing city. As a representative of the fastest growing region in Canberra and Australia—Gungahlin—I know the pressures on our roads and bus network are not sustainable in the long term. In Gungahlin, rapid population growth is undeniable, with an increase from just over 300 people to over 50,000 in the past 25 years. This growth must be directed by a vision that includes high quality transport connections, more active lifestyles and a revitalisation of our city’s major gateway—the Northbourne Avenue corridor.
Investing in public transport is something Labor believe in wholeheartedly, and we will continue to invest in a better, more integrated public transport system for this city. That system must include light rail. The Gungahlin Community Council recently conducted a comprehensive survey of over 1,300 residents about a range of issues, including transport. The survey found 90 per cent of Gungahlin commuters use their cars to travel into the city and to the north side of Canberra.
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