Page 541 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 17 February 2016
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grandmother were there with her while she was painting her street art mural in that laneway.
That is a perfect example of how we are giving kids a chance to turn themselves around and use their talent in a way that makes a difference to our city rather than treating them like the criminals that Mrs Jones has been describing some of them as. I think it is a great way of turning a divisive and disengaged young person into a more inclusive and respected community member. I just wanted to put those points forward, and I thank Ms Fitzharris for her amendment to the motion.
MRS JONES (Molonglo) (4.49): The Canberra Liberals will not be supporting the amendment. It is good to see we are all in absolute furious agreement around this place about the benefits of getting young people involved in programs which will divert them. However, that is not the point that this motion goes to; it is not what we are discussing here. What we are discussing is how we deal with what is currently on fences. The amendment the minister has put up is just a pat on the back for what is, in fact, a complete failure. The failure is that in four years of my being in this place there has been absolutely no change on Hindmarsh Drive. People who live in Lyneham, people who live in Stirling, people who live in Weston still drive to work with graffiti all over Hindmarsh Drive. There has not been an improvement and it has not fixed the problem. It is a shame that Minister Rattenbury is still defending this failure.
I also find it quite disappointing that words were put in my mouth in this debate. The idea that I have come in here and discussed a theory and that, therefore, I am saying that is what Canberra is is a complete nonsense. It is a bit embarrassing to come into this place and have words put in my mouth. There are theories about all sorts of things that are discussed; it does not mean that I am making a literal pointing from one experience to the other. The broken windows theory is a well-accepted argument for why it is worthwhile to clean off graffiti and to do other things around our city to keep it looking good. Patronising statements that suggest I have made a comparison between Canberra and New York at its worst time are a nonsense and should never have been made.
Some people are dealing with graffiti that, as Ms Lawder said, they do not even know is there. The first indication that they get is a threatening letter from ACT government saying, “Remove it. It’s your problem.” They have no ability to police their back fences. They cannot put up lights on their back fences. They cannot put up cameras, can they, to catch the perpetrators, because anything that protruded outside of their property would not be legal. What I am suggesting is that in regard to fences that back on to territory land the government’s policies have been a complete failure. To say that that therefore means I somehow do not believe in programs that target young people is such a stretch and such a nonsense that it should not even be brought into this place.
In my 3.5 years in this place there has been no improvement on Hindmarsh Drive. Residents are unfairly expected to pay for something they cannot stop from happening. It is abusive of the taxpayer and it should be resolved. We will not support the amendments and the false pat on the back they give to the government for a failed policy.
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